Cattin' Around
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: Eleventh in the Worlds Apart series; It's the first day of Rhys Williams' cross-training with Torchwood. Things don't get off to a good start when a strange artifact has an even stranger effect on the director of Torchwood, one Captain Jack Harkness.
1. Prologue:  A Tour Gone Awry

Disclaimer: I don't own Captain Jack Harkness, Rhys Williams, Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Suzie Costello or Toshiko Sato. . .they are all the property of Russell T. Davies, BBC, and Starz Studios. Major Will Lennox, Sergeant Robert Epps, Secretary of Defense John Keller, Ratchet, and Optimus Prime (and any other TF character mentioned here) also do not belong to me. They're the property of Hasbro and others. Who does belong to me? Lacey Keller Harkness, Corey Harkness, and the rest of the extended Keller-Harkness clan. Don't mind if you borrow them: just please ask first and return them to me intact.

Author's Notes: I will warn you right now. . .I am NOT a good comedic writer. I have a sense of humor (a rather dry one, I've been told), but I would never make it as a writer for a sitcom. My mind doesn't work that way. That being said, this is my attempt to write a serious story with comical streaks. . .or maybe a comical story with a serious streak. There are times when I really, really understand why Jack hates labels so much.

Cattin' Around

Prologue

A Tour Gone Awry

Hoover Dam, Nevada

Six weeks after Canary Wharf, 2006

By the end of his first day of cross-training, Rhys Williams was growing more certain that his life took a turn toward the outright bizarre. Well, it did that when he met Wheeljack for the first time. But over the months, he grew more and more comfortable with the idea of talking cars and talking lorries. He enjoyed his time with the Autobots and with the humans in NEST. Then came the day when Major Lennox showed up and told him that he would be cross-training at Hoover Dam with the institute that was NEST's forerunner. . .Torchwood.

Rhys heard of Torchwood even before he left Cardiff. . .they were a constant source of aggravation for the residents of Cardiff as far back as he could remember. They simply swanned in and took over crime scenes from the police, they were rude, they were arrogant, and they got even worse when the gits from London came down. So, he was more than a little surprised to discover that there was now a Torchwood in the United States, run by one Captain Jack Harkness. He should have expected something, by the way Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps reacted when he asked about the cross-training. Sergeant Epps laughed hysterically, while Major Lennox discreetly kicked the other man's ankle, explaining that the US branch of Torchwood was headed up by a rather. . .unusual individual.

That should have been his first clue. . .first two clues, rather. And then, he actually reached Hoover Dam. The first person he met there was a slim, dark-haired young woman about his own age, whom Major Lennox greeted warmly as 'Lacey.' She asked him ruefully if Rhys was the latest hire for the agency she didn't know about (had to be a story there) and Major Lennox gave her an apologetic smile. She waved it off, reminding the major that she was no novice when it came to classified. Rhys blinked, but before he had the chance to ask her, she was offering to accompany them on an impromptu tour of the facilities. It was then that Rhys learned she was married to Captain Harkness. Well. . .that certainly explained a lot, especially her comment about being no stranger to classified!

However, as he learned, that wasn't the whole story. She was also the daughter of the Secretary of Defense, John Keller, who created NEST with Major Lennox and Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. She knew a few things, but didn't know about the Autobots (yet). And Rhys had to give Major Lennox credit, for explaining that without mentioning the Autobots once by name. It was, 'our new allies.' Lacey Harkness, for her own part, chimed in with information that Rhys appreciated, though he wasn't entirely sure if most of this information would be useful to him. Still, you just never knew. They were reaching the old experimentation room (or so Major Lennox said) when a tall, dark-haired man burst out of the room, calling, "Lacey-girl! Where. . .oh, there you are!" Before Rhys had time to do anything other than gawp in total and complete astonishment, Lacey was being literally swept off her feet, disappearing in a flurry of swirling coat. Only the major's quick thinking kept Rhys from being swept up in that cloth maelstrom, as Lennox grasped Rhys' forearm and tugged him out of the way.

The young Welshman blinked in astonishment as his new friend was twirled around, drawing delighted laughter from her. Major Lennox whispered, "That's Jack Harkness, Lacey's husband and the director of Torchwood America. And before you ask, yes, he usually does greet her like that when she shows up here, and no, he didn't know she was coming today." Rhys blinked at the rather passionate snog. . .and were her legs wrapped around her husband's waist under his coat? They were! How did they manage that? Lennox added softly, "We don't ask certain questions. Jack will answer, but his answers usually break our brains." Yeah. Rhys could imagine. At last, Jack Harkness settled his dazed wife on her feet again, keeping an arm around her as he turned to face Rhys and Major Lennox.

"Oh. Hello. You must be the new recruit. . .Rhys, wasn't it? Rhys Williams, from Cardiff?" the dark-haired man asked, giving Rhys an appreciative once-over. Rhys nodded a bit warily and the newcomer continued, "Captain Jack Harkness, Director of Torchwood America, and husband to this beautiful lady." Lacey rolled her eyes, but Rhys had to smile. . .because it was clear to him, at least, that to Jack Harkness, his wife _was_ beautiful. He wasn't sure how that worked, exactly, when he was clearly flirting with Rhys only seconds earlier, but apparently, Jack Harkness flirted, even though he obviously loved his wife deeply, and Lacey was okay with that. Major Lennox mouthed, '_you get used to it_.' Rhys didn't know about that, but. . .

Out loud, Major Lennox explained, "Rhys is doing his cross-training this week, Jack. Try not to frighten him off, okay?" Frighten him off? Yeah, he flirted, and that was a bit. . .odd. . .but why would he be frightened? Major Lennox explained, "It isn't Jack that freaks most new recruits out. . .at least, not any more. . .it's what Torchwood deals with. Yeah, he's a little on the odd side, but once you've met Simmons, Jack's downright normal." That drew laughter from Lacey, who was now reclining comfortably against her husband's chest, followed by a squeak when he evidently tickled her. Lennox added with a sigh, "I did say, compared to Simmons, Lacey."

"Good point. . .and I'll say no more on that subject. I don't want to make Rhys any more nervous than he already is," Lacey observed. Which, of course, had that very effect. Any time someone said something like that… Rhys was on the point of asking about Simmons when a ruckus caught his attention. Lacey muttered, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. . .Jack, so help me God, if I find out that Owen is giving Ianto a hard time again, I'll put my foot up his arse. I warned him about that." Captain Harkness released his wife just long enough to take her hand, though he didn't look especially happy either.

"Let's have a look. . .but I'm sure Ianto is more than capable of taking care of himself. Remember what happened the last time Owen decided to be a git?" Captain Harkness reminded his wife. Lacey actually snickered and Captain Harkness explained as he, Lacey, Major Lennox and Rhys headed in the direction of the ruckus, "Ianto is a new hire of mine. . .sort of a receptionist/butler/archivist/whatever we need him to be. Our doctor, Owen, has evidently forgotten a lesson that Lacey taught him years ago. . .it's the quiet ones you need to be wary of. Ianto's capable of nearly anything."

Ianto? There was another Welshman here? However, Rhys simply followed the married couple downstairs, Major Lennox at his side. On the way down, the captain and his lady discussed their daughter, five year old Corinna). . .Lacey's two younger sisters (Bronnie and Cissie, the former of whom was coming for a visit). . .and about a trip Lacey took to a nearby hotel. (Major Lennox explained in an undertone that Lacey was conceived near Hoover Dam. Rhys regarded that as too much information, but apparently that was part of an in-joke around here)

"Okay, kids, what have we got? Tosh, is that part of the most recent shipment from Three?" Captain Harkness inquired. A young Oriental woman nodded, but it was a tall, stunning brunette who approached the newcomers. Rhys was devoted to his Gwen, who was gorgeous in her own right, but he could still appreciate a stunner like this lady. The girl addressed as 'Tosh' was quite pretty as well, and Lacey was cute in a 'girl next door' kind of way. Rhys was beginning to wonder if Captain Harkness had anyone on his team who wasn't attractive.

"We can't quite figure out what it is, Jack. . .Lacey, you made it!" the brunette said, scooping the woman in question into a fierce embrace. Lacey squeaked (again), and the woman released her, turning her attention to Rhys, saying, "I'm Suzie Costello and this is Toshiko Sato. . .nice to meet you." British. Definitely British. Captain Harkness and his wife were both American. Ianto was a Welsh name, and Tosh was. . .well, he wasn't sure yet. Interesting group. Torchwood America, it seemed, was as varied as NEST was. . .and NEST had a wide variety of people and backgrounds. Oh, and Captain Harkness also mentioned someone named 'Owen.'

"Rhys Williams, NEST. What are you doing?" Rhys inquired. For the first time, he saw what the two young women were handling. It was a relatively small item, about the same size and shape as a fire extinguisher. Judging by the ease with which that the two women were handling it, however, it was far lighter. Suzie immediately launched into an explanation, half of which he understood. . .but he wasn't really worried. Before he encountered the Autobots and NEST, everything she said would have been Greek to him. And not for the first time, he wished he could have told Banana and Dafydd about the Autobots.

He learned from Suzie that about once a month, Torchwood America received a shipment from their counterpart in Cardiff, consisting of items that they couldn't quite figure out. Suzie was of the opinion that like Torchwood London, Torchwood Cardiff wasn't interested in anything that wasn't a weapon. She lowered her voice, adding that their newest member was originally in Torchwood London, but he actually seemed to be a nice kid. Rhys heard about the massacre at Canary Wharf in London, and he shuddered. He was working with Ratchet on that day, learning about the inner workings of the Autobots, and witnessed that rarest of sights: Optimus Prime when he was enraged. It wasn't something one forgot readily, not when it came to such a gentle being as the Autobot leader. Apparently, the events at Canary Wharf hardened Prime's resolve not to share Cybertronian weapons with humanity as a whole. Rhys really couldn't blame him.

While Rhys, Suzie, and Toshiko inspected the cylinder, Captain Harkness warned them to take it into a safe area. . .they had no idea what it would do, and the last thing he wanted was to accidently vaporize anyone. Suzie nodded, backing away a little, toward another area. At the same time, the captain and the other two moved a short distance away, discussing something. No one was entirely sure why it happened or what they touched, but the cylinder began shaking and whining. The captain froze and pivoted to face them. Rhys was struggling to control the cylinder, trying to make sure neither of the girls was hurt. Captain Harkness called out something that Rhys couldn't make out. . .the cylinder was making too much noise, but his worried expression warned Rhys that this wouldn't end well. As the man started over to them, a white beam shot out from the cylinder. . .striking the captain in the chest. The cry that emerged from Jack Harkness would likely haunt Rhys' nightmares for the rest of his life: a sound of pure agony. Lacey cried out and started to run to her husband, but Major Lennox grabbed her around the waist and held on tightly. No easy task, as she writhed in his grasp and kept trying to kick his shins. However, the major had that covered as well.

Behind Rhys, Suzie and Toshiko were crying in horror, but the Welshman was struggling to find the off-switch. Captain Harkness was screaming in agony, collapsing to his knees, and Rhys felt something, an indentation under his hand. He pressed it. . .and his own world went white. When he came back to himself, he was lying on the ground, his head resting on. . .something. . .and a grumpy, 'shift yer arse!' informed him that it was someone's body part. Leg, he realized when he did, indeed, move. . .more to the point, it was Suzie Costello's leg. He groaned and rolled away from her, smacking into the cylinder at the same time. Rhys wobbled his way to his feet, looking around to check on the others. Suzie and Toshiko were helping each other up, holding onto each other for support. A quick glance across the room told him that Major Lennox was helping Lacey to her feet, both looking as wobbly as Rhys felt.

"Jack? Sweetheart, wh. . .oh, God!" Lacey cried out. She lurched out of Lennox's grip finally, but didn't get far. For the first time, Rhys noticed the long, dark-colored greatcoat lying in the middle of the floor. His blood ran cold, because it was the exact same greatcoat that Captain Harkness was wearing earlier. Things quickly went from bad to surreal when a tiny head poked out from under the coat and Lacey gasped, "Jack?" She dropped to her knees and scooted across the floor as an equally small body emerged from the massive coat with an inquisitive, 'mrroww?' Lacey eased the body into her arms, cradling the small creature against her chest protectively. The creature made a contented noise, snuggling into the young woman's arms as she carefully rose to her feet.

Tosh made a horrified noise in the back of her throat, Rhys stared in utter shock, while Major Lennox left his position to pick up the greatcoat, along with the rest of the captain's clothes. But it was Suzie who said in a hollow voice, "It's Jack. Jack's been turned into a cat. That thing turned my boss into a cat!" Rhys couldn't swear to it, but it almost sounded like Major Lennox mumbled something along the lines of, '_Welcome to Torchwood_.'

TBC


	2. Chapter One:  Still Extraordinary

Author's Note: I'm not a cat person. I don't hate 'em, but I've always been more of a dog person. My brother and sister-in-law have a cat, as does my best friend, so what I know of cat behavior comes from that. In fact, it was from my brother's cat that this story comes. Back in July, a few weeks before my youngest niece's sixth birthday, we visited their family and their cat took up residence on my lap. He swatted at the neckline of my shirt, and for some reason, I thought of Jack. Next thing I know, I have images of Jack in a cat's body, sauntering into the med-bay and meowing cheerfully at Owen, who talks to him as if he was still a human. Of course, at that point, I had to write the story.

Chapter One

Still Extraordinary

Nearly a year earlier, William Lennox's life was turned upside down, just days from his return to the States and his family: his beautiful, amazing wife Sarah and his newborn daughter Annabelle. The SOCCENT base was attacked and destroyed by a giant alien robot masquerading as a helicopter and then the few survivors of that attack were pursued by a somewhat smaller robot in the form of a scorpion. By the end of that week, he'd encountered more of those alien beings. . .the Autobots, now his allies, and the Decepticons, who tried to kill him on multiple occasions. Now, less than a year later, 'strange and bizarre' were normal for Will. However, this was just a little weirder than normal.

The director of Torchwood America, Captain Jack Harkness, was currently curled up in his wife's lap, tail twitching. Will shook his head, trying very hard to fight off a headache. Jack was turned into a cat. How he was turned into a cat and why he was turned into a cat. . .well, not even Jack's team could figure that out yet. A rather shell-shocked Lacey was steered into Tosh's usual chair, still cradling the cat (Jack) against her chest protectively. Not that the cat (Jack) seemed to mind. . .he/it was purring quite happily, bumping his/its head against Lacey's cheek as her free hand stroked him/it. And poor Rhys was just staring first at the long coat and clothes folded neatly in a pile on Tosh's desk and then at the cat (Jack). Will's lips twitched, ever so slightly. It was a helluva introduction to Torchwood. Jack was enough of a character on his own, but given this little situation, and it was no wonder Rhys was wop-jawed.

The two remaining male members of Torchwood America, Dr. Owen Harper and Ianto Jones, joined them when they heard Jack's scream and arrived in time to see Lacey pick up the cat (Jack). Owen initially balked at examining this furry version of his boss, pointing out that he was a doctor, not a veterinarian. However, Suzie pointed out that he did have samples of Jack's blood on file. . .he could take another sample and see what he could find out. Owen grumped about that a bit, until Lacey hit him with one of her Looks. He swallowed any additional complaints and very carefully, very gently took blood from the cat while Lacey soothed the decidedly-unhappy feline.

For his own part, Ianto Jones tracked down a bowl in the HUB kitchen as well as milk, which was lapped up hungrily. And staying true to form, Jack found a way to flirt, even in a cat's body: licking at Ianto's fingers while the young man poured the milk. The newest member of Torchwood America offered a half-smile, gently chastising, "That's harassment, sir." The cat simply meowed up at him cheerfully, drawing a laugh from other humans, before turning his/its attention to the milk. Will was no expert on cats, but it figured that a man as attractive as Jack Harkness was a beautiful feline. _Although_, Will thought, _maybe 'striking' is a better term_: as a cat, Jack was a black Siamese cat with blue eyes and a white throat and white paws.

It seemed that caring for the human-turned-feline was the priority in the first few hours after the metamorphosis, but as Owen ran his tests and Jack snuggled against his wife's chest, Lacey roused herself and said softly, "We still have work to do. Suzie and Tosh, I need the two of you to start working on that thing. Run tests, just don't touch it. . .or, touch it as little as possible. Ianto, can you start checking the database I set up a few years ago, see if something similar came through the Rift in the past? Will, is Rhys staying here?" The major looked from the hollow-eyed young woman to the new recruit, who was staring at Lacey in absolute shock. He shrugged. Well, this _was_ his cross-training period. . .and really, while it was a bizarre situation, Will figured there were worse situations Rhys could have walked into.

"Yeah. . .yeah, I will. Rhys, don't worry, I doubt if Lacey will have you doing anything crazy. Uh, Lacey, who is taking care of Corey while you're here?" Will asked, gently leading Rhys off to one side. When Jack was changed into a cat, Will left the orientation papers to keep Lacey from running to her husband. . .which really wasn't like her. Usually, she knew better than that. Then again, how often had her husband been changed into something else entirely? In any event, he had paperwork for Rhys and it would give him a chance to talk to the still-stunned newbie.

"She's staying with Mom and Dad. I'm sorry, Suzie, I know you're second in command," Lacey apologized, switching her attention to Suzie, who began nudging Tosh toward the (new) experimentation room. Jack chose the former experimentation room, where Will saw a Nokia phone come to life (literally), as his office. Personally, Will would have chosen the observation room as his office, but Jack didn't have the memories of that awful day that Will did (on the other hand, he had awful memories of his own).

"Don't you apologize. . .you're second in command when it comes to administration, and I'm second in command when it comes to the field. Jack knows I suck at administration and diplomacy, too. You take care of Jack, and we'll see what we can do about getting him back to his usual charming self. Ianto, there's a flash drive in my desk. . .I'll log you in and you can start looking over the database she means. Set up the filter to 'transformation' or 'metamorphosis.' C'mon, Tosh, we've got our marching orders," Suzie instructed. Tosh nodded, carefully carrying the artifact to the former control room. Suzie scratched the cat under the chin and behind his ears, saying, "And as for you, be good. . .well, as good as you're capable of being. . .and take care of Lacey." She was rewarded with a swipe of a rough tongue and a sleepy 'meow.' Suzie grinned and kissed the top of Lacey's head, before joining Ianto at her workstation to set him up at her computer.

Leaving Lacey to care for her husband, Will led Rhys away, murmuring, "Here are the orientation papers you need to look over during a quiet moment, if you have any. I know this is a weirder than normal situation. . .just do what Lacey asks of you, and you'll be fine. Suzie was right. . .she's the field second in command, but if Jack isn't available and Lacey's on the premises, she handles the administrative work and interaction with other agencies aside from us. She's the granddaughter of a diplomat, so it runs in her blood. Since Ianto is working the database, it's likely that Lacey will have you taking over his usual duties, at least until Jack is himself again." Rhys nodded, looking a bit relieved. Will called over to Lacey, "You need me for anything, Lace, and I do mean anything. . .you have Rhys call me!" Lacey looked up from where she was softly talking to Jack, and nodded. Will murmured, "Take care of her." Rhys bobbed his head and Will took his leave of the still-stunned Torchwood team.

TWTWTWTWTW

_Take care of her_. That was the last thing Major Lennox said before he left the Torchwood America base (abandoned him to these nutters). Well, if there was one thing Rhys Williams was good at, aside from driving lorries, it was taking care of people. Even if they didn't need him to cook or make dinner, he could still take care of people. . .especially the brunette now cuddling her husband in cat form. For the moment, he chose to leave Lacey Harkness alone, though he kept an eye on her, and instead focused on what Major Lennox told him. Once, this cavernous room held the leader of the Decepticons, Megatron, and now, it held the workstations of the Torchwood team. Jack Harkness turned the former observation room into the conference room. Why he turned the former experimentation room into his office, Major Lennox really couldn't say. . .just that Jack tended to have very specific reasons for the actions he took. _Do not_, the major warned when they left NEST's temporary base for Hoover Dam, _make the mistake of underestimating Captain Jack Harkness. He is funny and charming and attractive, yes. . .but he's also far more dangerous than he seems_.

Rhys had an eerie feeling that was true even now, when the captain was turned into a cat. Right now, he was purring in his wife's lap (and Lord, that was a weird thing to think) while she gently stroked his back and neck. Rhys asked softly as he approached her, "Is there anything I can do for you? Get you some coffee or coke or tea, maybe lunch?" She offered him a tired smile and shook her head, so Rhys pulled up a chair to sit opposite her. He asked, still speaking softly, although he wasn't sure why he was using such a low tone, "I take it that this is strange, even for Torchwood?" That provoked a small smile.

"Yes, this is strange even by our standards," she answered, tilting her head slightly to one side. She murmured, "I think he's fallen asleep. It stands to reason, I suppose. . .being changed from a human being to a cat would be exhausting." She looked up at Rhys, eyes bright with unshed tears, adding, "That was really stupid of me, I know. . .trying to go to his side during the transformation, but all I could see was how rigid his body and I heard how much pain he was in. It was really stupid of me, something even worse could have happened if I got in the way. . .I just stopped thinking." Rhys leaned forward and rested his hand on her knee, trying to comfort or reassure her, even though he felt hopelessly out of his depth.

"Just be grateful that Major Lennox was there to stop you, yeah?" he suggested gently and she nodded, blinking back those unshed tears. What else could he say? She wasn't thinking clearly when she lunged for her husband? Well, no, but even with his recent training, Rhys couldn't say that he would have done things any differently. He didn't think that was the best thing to tell her, though. Rhys went on, "So, you've been married a while, have a child?" Again, she nodded, only this time with a smile. There, that was better. Rhys asked, "Why don't you tell me about her? I know that her name is 'Corey,' Major Lennox told me that much on the way over. . .and you already told me a little about her while we were walking about the base."

"Uhm. . .well, her full name is 'Corinna Rose,' and she just turned five. We named her after my mother and a friend of Jack's. She, ah, I mean Jack's friend. . .she died recently. Never had a chance to see her little namesake. Jack swears up and down that she looks like me and has my temperament. I agree on her temperament, but I think she looks more like Jack, and thank God for that. She's got his eyes and his smile. Our Corey-girl is gonna be dangerous when she grows up," Lacey replied with a soft smile. Rhys smiled back. She continued after a moment, "As to your first question, Jack and I have been married for a little over nine years, after a year-long courtship and engagement. We've never done things exactly in an orthodox manner. He proposed to me while I was still in the hospital, shortly after my college graduation_." In hospital_? Lacey shrugged a little, explaining, "I was caught in an explosion. Kind of a long story, but apparently, I scared the ever-loving hell out of Jack. He was sitting beside my bed when I woke up. . .well, the first time, he was asleep. It seems that he dozed off while waiting for me to wake up." She ducked her head, gently kissing the slumbering cat's head.

"He loves you very much," Rhys observed silently and she smiled at him, before rubbing her cheek against the soft fur again. He bit his lip, wondering if he should say anything at all, and then chose to switch his attention to something else, something not as emotionally charged. He didn't want to make the poor woman feel any worse (though in truth, he wasn't sure if that was possible at this point). And so, he said, "So, how long have you been involved in Torchwood? I'm guessing that you're an unofficial second in command, based on what Suzie mentioned?"

She actually laughed at that, replying, "A lot of what I've done for Torchwood is unofficial, Rhys! And really, I've been involved with Torchwood since shortly after Jack and I were married. We were stationed in Cardiff at the time, and I couldn't find a job so I pestered Alex, the director of Torchwood Three, into giving me something to do. Oh, did Jack and I argue over that! But, in the end, I think it worked out well. I never left the conference room or Alex's office unless it was safe. . .safe being a relative term when you're involved with Torchwood, however peripherally. When the others died at the end of 1999, I helped Jack put the pieces back together." Cardiff. She lived in Cardiff for a time. Then something else occurred to Rhys. This was just before those gits from London took over.

However, he chose not to ask about that, choosing instead to observe, "So, you two lived in Cardiff for a time. . .imagine, we might have crossed paths during that time period." Lacey's smile told him that she was thinking along the same lines and Rhys said softly, "Well, I'm glad to meet you now. The last thing that Major Lennox told me to do was to take care of you. He's my commanding officer, and I don't mean to let him down. So you let me do my job, yeah?" That made her smile brighten a little and she nodded.

"Yeah. Uhm. . .I guess the only thing we need to do is make sure that you and Ianto don't get in each other's way. Right now, he's helping the girls, but usually, Ianto does the taking care of. You gotta be sneaky with him. . .I don't think he knows how to let people take care of him. Scratch that, I'm almost positive that he doesn't know how," Lacey explained. She didn't tell him how she was so sure of that, but Rhys decided to take her word for it. She went on after a minute, "Suzie and Tosh. . .really, they get really caught up in their work, so it's harder to take care of them. I know, Will told you to take care of me. . .my job is to take care of them."

"Then we'll split the difference. You take care of them and Captain Harkness there, and I'll take care of you. You like lasagna?" Rhys asked and Lacey's answering smile could have lit up McCarren by night. Rhys beamed at her, replying, "Well, that's settled! You haven't eaten yet, have you? No, didn't think so. Point me in the direction of your kitchen, and I'm assumin' you have one. . ." She bobbed her head and rose to her feet a bit unsteadily. Rhys reached out to grasp her elbow, to steady her, and the motion woke the sleeping cat. Both Rhys and Lacey laughed at the rather disgusted expression that resulted and Rhys pointed out, "Go back to sleep, Captain, I'll see to your lady."

"Mrow!" was the rather determined response, and Rhys would swear that the translation would have been something along, '_you damn well better_!' And then, the cat settled back against Lacey's chest, returning to sleep almost immediately. Rhys blinked in astonishment, and Lacey snickered, whispering, '_Welcome to Torchwood_!' Yeah. He was starting to get the picture now. And he hadn't even been here an hour!

TWTWTWTWTWTW

From the moment he noticed a girl hanging from a barrage balloon while running a con in 1941, the former Time Agent who took the name of Jack Harkness found his topsy-turvy world thrown into even more disarray. Because of that meeting, he began remembering an impish, playful, innocent little boy who grew up on the Boeshane Peninsula with his parents and little brother, began remembering the little boy he was once and took his first steps back toward becoming the man whom his father wanted him to be. Before their home was invaded, before his father was killed, before Jack failed his father and his brother, before his innocence was shattered.

He didn't always act like that man. Sometimes, it was a matter of survival; sometimes, he simply didn't have the energy to give a damn; and still other times, it seemed at the time like the right thing to do. His father-in-law lived his life by something he learned in the military. Go with what you know at the time. It may be wrong five minutes later, when new information came to light, John Keller told him, but it was right at the time you made the decision. He didn't claim that it never steered him wrong, but he also didn't stand there and dither when a decision had to be made. It sounded suspiciously like Rinna's long-dead grandfather, who always told her and her brothers while they were growing up, '_do something, even if it's wrong_.'

This situation definitely fell into that category. He was a cat. Thanks to a device which Three sent to them (Jack had to wonder how many of Three's people were turned into animals and what they were turned into), Jack was turned into a cat. It hurt like hell, changing form and downsizing. And his wife was partially right. . .the transformation from human to cat was exhausting. What was far more exhausting, and the reason he was sleeping so much (aside from the fact that his Lacey was so warm and comfortable), was because he retained an awareness of himself as a human being (including what he heard), even though he was now in the body of a cat. . .and his brain was currently the size of a cat's brain. That made thinking real interesting. And he hadn't even gotten to the fun part of being this size. . .like being in a better position to look down his wife's blouse or shirt or whatever she was wearing today.

Curiously, or maybe not so curiously, he held no rancor toward Rhys Williams. It would have happened regardless of whom held it, once whatever button was pushed on it. . .but if one of the girls were holding the device, rather than Williams, things might have gotten a whole lot uglier. Jack was reasonably sure that he would survive the return to his own form. Considering he used up one of the cat's nine lives when that thing hit him, it was highly unlikely that any of the others would have survived the initial change, much less the return to human form. He was also grateful, beyond words, to his wife for picking him up and keeping him in her lap. Myfanwy had yet to make her appearance, and he really didn't want to end up as a Myfanwy-snack. Besides, it was an interesting perspective, seeing the world from the sanctuary of his wife's lap.

He lost his train of thought for a while, as Lacey's gentle stroking sent him to sleep. Jack was vaguely aware of Lacey and Rhys talking, though he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, and it really wasn't important anyhow. Although, how his spine was now aligned with Lacey's forearm was a matter of some confusion for him. However, he wouldn't argue. . .not that he could. . .when his new position was even more comfortable. It also left him in a better position to swat at his wife's neckline as she settled into a seat in the new kitchen. Lacey laughed and rubbed her nose against his, gently chastising, "None of that, now, Jack. Not into bestiality, you know that." He mrrowed at her, drawing another laugh from both her and Rhys.

Something was said about Will wanting Rhys to watch over Lacey. . .which, to Jack, was a good idea. She was busy taking care of Ianto, Owen, Tosh and Suzie (as well as Jack and Corey on normal days), so it was only right that someone take care of her. Jack normally took care of her, but that wasn't possible right now, so Rhys it was. When Jack assumed his correct form once more, he would figure out a way to thank the newcomer. A way that didn't involved kissing or 'dancing,' though he couldn't make any promises about flirting. Fortunately, he was married to an extremely understanding woman.

Lacey was worried about Ianto. Jack wasn't entirely sure where that came from, but it was true. She gently suggested to him several times since their arrival in Nevada that it might not be a bad idea to talk to a psychiatrist about what he survived at Canary Wharf. She believed the youngster was dealing with a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, and her father agreed. However, Ianto insisted he was fine, and after every conversation along those lines, he melted into the shadows a little more. Lacey stopped making those suggestions when she noticed the same thing, but Jack saw the worry in her eyes when she looked at the young man. She couldn't force him into seeing a psychiatrist (and Jack suggested speaking to the NEST psychiatrist after Ianto pointed out that he couldn't speak to a civilian or non-Torchwood individual), but she would watch over him to the best of her ability. Jack told him on more than one occasion that if something was wrong or Ianto had an issue, his door was always open. But Ianto simply smiled and reassured him that everything was fine, and usually, that was right before everything went to hell. That was one thing about Torchwood. . .timing was everything.

He lost track again, and Jack was uncertain if he fell asleep or if his cat-brain overheated and he fell asleep (yes, there was a difference, thank you very much). The next time his human-brain came online, he was in his office, still cradled in Lacey's arms, and there was the strong smell of lasagna in the air. Oh. That was nice. She was getting something to eat, and she was in his office, where she knew he was comfortable. He knew that Lacey wasn't comfortable in his office, even though she didn't know what happened here. She didn't know about the Autobots (aside from what he told her after they saw the battle with Scorponok in Qatar), and only knew that NEST was a new ally to Torchwood America. She didn't question him on that, just said that it stood to reason. . .Torchwood had an uneasy rival/ally in UNIT, it was only right that NEST, whatever they did, were an ally.

John asked him not to tell Lacey the full story about the Autobots, fearing for her safety if she knew everything (or even most of the story). He agreed to keep quiet, for now. But the moment her safety was jeopardized by her ignorance of the situation, Jack would tell her. John agreed, looking more than a little relieved, and informed him that he requested an Autobot guardian for Lacey. As the daughter of the Secretary of Defense (who had a part in the destruction of a Decepticon), it was possible and even likely that Lacey would become a target for Decepticons. This was the rationale for his request, and it was why Optimus agreed. Besides, it was something the giant alien and Jack already discussed. When Lacey's guardian arrived on earth (whomever he was), then it would be time to tell her the truth about NEST.

For now, Jack snuggled against his wife's chest, playfully bumping his head against her cheek when he was awake. The next time he was awake, he would consider the best way to get himself turned back into a human. But that would wait. Right now. . .

TBC


	3. Chapter Two:  Quid Pro Quo

Author's Notes: Ugh. I'm _so _sorry for the delay on this; I think my new post-_Miracle Day_ series has eaten my brain. It took me forever to even get started on this chapter, to figure out which part of the story I wanted to tell this time around. For anyone just joining us, in this first section, John Keller makes reference to Optimus Prime considering Jack to be his brother. That was covered in the final section of _Moments in Time_, which told of Jack's first meeting with Optimus Prime. (If you want to see Jack acting as if he's a nervous young cadet, that's the place to find him) In this chapter, we have Will reporting the human-to-cat accident to SecDef Keller, Owen being Owen, and Lisa putting her two cents in. Just to avoid confusion, some of the events of this chapter are concurrent with the events of the last chapter. And chapter three will be up whenever my brain starts functioning properly. (rolls eyes)

Chapter Two

Quid Pro Quo

"So, that's the situation as it stands now, sir. One human has been turned into a cat as a result of the artifact from Torchwood Three," Major William Lennox told his immediate commanding officer. Secretary of Defense John Keller leaned back a little in his chair, his eyes focused entirely on the young man in front of him. Lennox never even fidgeted, meeting SecDef's eyes calmly, even as he asked, "I have to ask, sir: is this type of thing normal for Torchwood? Or is there even something that _passes_ for normal with Torchwood?" Keller snorted at that.

"I don't believe my son-in-law has even a passing acquaintance with our concept of 'normal,' Major. I think it's probably part of his charm. How is my daughter taking this? At ease, by the way, Major," he replied, indicating the chair opposite his at the same time. Lennox sat down gratefully, looking exhausted. Even before the SNAFU at Hoover Dam, Will was already experiencing one of his longer days, at least according to Sergeant Epps. Keller passed over one of the chocolate bars that his youngest daughter kept stocked in his office, adding, "You look like you could use some sugar, son."

"Thank you, sir. Lacey is handling it about as well as you could expect. I knew from our past meetings that she will hotly defend her husband against any threat or insult, but her response still surprised me a bit," the young man replied and John nodded. Yes, that was something he was accustomed to hearing. People who were aware of Jack's inability to stay dead found it more than a little odd that Jack's all-too-mortal wife behaved in such a way, but to John, it was just part and parcel of Lacey's personality.

"It stands to reason. Lacey was sixteen years old the first time she saw Jack die, and he died protecting her. She's been extremely protective of him ever since," the older man replied. Of course, that wasn't the whole truth, but Will didn't need to know that. Instead, he continued, "As far as cross-training goes, Rhys is actually getting off pretty easily. I seem to remember a newly-minted major and his master sergeant getting dragged through the sewers by their collars, literally." Will actually blushed as he nodded. Oh yes. Of course he would remember that same situation, since he was the newly-minted major in question.

"I don't think I've ever been so grateful to see anyone as I was to see Jack that night," the young man replied and Keller bit back a snicker. Yes, he remembered. Just as he remembered the seven showers both men took at the refurbished Hoover Dam once the three men returned to the base. Lennox continued, "After being stalked through Qatar by Scorponok and then Mission City, I didn't think nothing could throw me. I was wrong. Lord, I was so terribly wrong. But you know what really surprised me, more than anything else? Jack. I really thought he was going to be an ass about it and rub my face in it, in the fact that he had to rescue us."

Keller shook his head, replying, "Jack's not that petty. Most people don't figure this out until it's too late, but Jack is a quid pro quo type when it comes to other agencies. You treat him with respect, he'll reciprocate. But if you cop an attitude with him, that's what you'll get in return. You never copped an attitude with him, so you didn't get one in return. He's not afraid to step on toes, mind you, especially if stepping on toes means the difference between life and death for someone." The young major nodded thoughtfully. The SecDef added, "Besides, as he told you when you finished showering, that was something that could have happened to anyone."

"Sir, I was wondering. . .will he be okay? Jack, I mean. I know he can't stay dead, but being turned into a cat. . ." Lennox asked hesitantly. Keller sighed, because he could see the major's point. Jack's life was mind-bending at the best of times, even for a time-traveler (or so John imagined), but this was strange even for him. It was strange all around, because Lacey had been married to Jack for nearly ten years, and she was horrified enough by the metamorphosis from human to cat to try to run to her husband. She knew better than that. That, more than anything, told John just how weird this situation was.

"I'm sure he will be. My son-in-law is a very resilient man. And I know I said this already, but thank you for preventing my daughter from doing something incredibly foolish. Jack will likely do the same once he returns to his human form," John replied. Will nodded, looking concerned. After a moment, John continued, "I need to contact Optimus and let him know. I'm not sure if you were informed, but Optimus has informally adopted Jack as his little brother. He still blames himself for missing the signs that Megatron was losing it, and he's determined not to fail Jack in any way, shape, or form."

"And Big Buddha knows the truth about Jack?" Will asked. John inclined his head. Yes, that came up at the very first meeting, as Mikaela held her grandfather's hand. The same meeting, he recalled, which saw Jack Harkness behaving like a nervous, earnest young cadet about to meet the superintendent of his military academy. If John hadn't seen it, he never would have believed it. Will continued, sighing a little, "Well, at least Optimus knows to expect the unexpected with Jack. Although, and I really shouldn't say this, but I _really_ would love to be there when Jack comes back to life in front of a Decepticon."

The Secretary of Defense didn't even bother fighting his laughter. Will smiled, adding impishly, "Ironhide told me that it gave him 'surges' the first time he saw it happen. I guess that would be a shudder for us." The young man grew serious, asking, "How does someone deal with that level of pain and loss? The man has been around for more than a century, in a time that's not his own, with people who largely don't understand him, and as if that's not bad enough, he dies and comes back to life. He outlives everyone he loves. Hell, even the Autobots die, much as I hate to admit it. Will Jack?"

"It sounds like a terrible thing to say about my son-in-law, but I hope so," John said soberly. As 'cool' as the idea of living forever sounded at first blush, it sounded more like something out of a horror movie. He hesitated to say only a teenager would think living forever was cool, because that would have insulted Jack's granddaughter Mikaela, who realized very quickly that living forever (or even longer than a century) wasn't all that and a bag of chips. However, that wasn't up to them, and both he and Will had work to do. He inclined his head, saying, "I think that'll be everything, unless there are other things that require my attention?" The young major rose to his feet, shaking his head. John waited until Lennox was at parade rest, before saying, "Dismissed, Major. My daughter will call if she needs you; just as I'm sure Mr. Williams will."

He received a crisp salute from the human commander of NEST before Lennox left his office, and then John Keller sat back with a sigh. He would relax for a few minutes, before informing his giant alien robotic ally of the most recent misadventure suffered by his chosen little brother. Oh, he wasn't afraid of what Prime would do to him, or even say. But he wanted to have all his ducks in a row before he made that call, so he began reading over the notes he made during his conversation with Major Lennox. And hopefully, Optimus would have some ideas about an Autobot Guardian for Lacey, once more Autobots arrived on Earth.

TWTWTWTWTW

Dr. Owen Harper's life took a turn after an alien masqueraded as a tumor, killing his beautiful fiancée Katie. It took a turn for the truly strange and bizarre when he saw that tall, dark-haired man who tried to stop the surgery in the cemetery where Katie was buried. Things went downhill from there, between ghosts of little French girls in the original Torchwood America base in West Virginia and finding out that his boss' wife once killed an alien bounty hunter who got the better of Jack. Oh, and he couldn't forget about Jack returning from London with a damn dinosaur and Tea-boy. A dinosaur? _Really_? Nor could he forget the soft, furtive conversations between his boss and the boss lady that left the boss lady's face looking pinched with exhaustion and worry. They were hiding something from Owen, Tosh, Suzie and Ianto. Something big.

And if Jack and Lacey were keeping something important from him, then Owen realized within a few months of moving into Hoover Dam that Jack and Torchwood were keeping something just as important from Lacey. This was, of course, the Autobots. Even though Lacey's father was the Secretary of Defense for the country and NEST was his brainchild, it was decided by her father and husband that Lacey, her mother Corinna, and Keller's two younger daughters were safer in not knowing about NEST or about the Autobots. Owen wasn't quite sure how that worked, but Optimus Prime (one of the few beings whom Owen wouldn't dream of contradicting-hello, giant alien robot!) seemed to agree that for the moment, SecDef Keller's family wouldn't know about the Autobots for their own protection.

Giant alien robots were mind-boggling enough. Especially that Ironhide, who seemed to think he was a giant, metallic version of Clint Eastwood. They didn't see much of Bumblebee (_what the hell kinda name was that_?), as he was staying on as someone's guardian. Ratchet was weird, and Optimus Prime, though a gentle mech, scared him most of all. But now, out of everything they faced it was the current situation that they received a shipment from those complete twats at Torchwood Three, and there was an item in there that turned Jack, Jack of all people, into a sodding cat! At the moment, Jack was in his office, hopefully ensconced in his wife's lap, and Owen winced at the mental image that provoked. No doubt, Jack was thoroughly enjoying that part of being a cat. In fact, his new form probably made it easier to peer down her blouse, the randy wanker. Lacey wasn't really his type, but Owen wouldn't mind that aspect himself.

None of which helped him to figure out what the hell happened to Jack and more to the point, how it happened. The tests weren't telling him anything that would help them, much less turn Jack human again (although, there were times when Owen wasn't entirely sure about how human he actually _was_). He muttered a few naughty words under his mouth (dammit, now he had a mental Corey chastising him about his language), and stepped back to avoid breaking anything out of sheer frustration.

"No luck?" a familiar, feminine voice asked softly and Owen looked up to see his lady boss slowly descending the steps with the cat cradled against her chest. Okay, that was just weird. Lacey evidently realized what he was thinking, for she smiled faintly and said, "I know, but if I don't hold him, he'll get loose and Myfanwy will get an unexpected snack. I don't think that's what any of us want." Owen cringed, because that was something he hadn't even considered. She settled the cat onto railing, which he gracefully navigated. Of course he did, the bastard. Owen glowered at him.

"Of course Jack bloody Harkness could keep his balance even when he's just been turned into a cat," Owen grumbled. Lacey merely raised her eyebrows and folded her arms over her chest. He was actually a bit surprised when she didn't start tapping her foot impatiently. However, after a moment, he sighed and admitted, "No luck. The tests are inconclusive, and I haven't heard anything from Suzie or Tosh, and Tea-boy is in over his head. Not that this is a surprise." The cat meowed at him disapprovingly and Owen added, "OI! None of that, Harkness, Tea-boy's in over his head and you know it!" Lacey's smile widened ever so slightly. It took him a minute to realize why she was smiling. The doctor could only groan and face-palm. Great. Just great. He was talking to Jack as if he was still a human being. The cat meowed again, this time far more cheerfully, and this time, Lacey actually laughed outright.

She scooped the cat into her arms, saying, "C'mon, Jack, let's give Owen his space back." There was a protesting meow this time, even though the cat gently bumped his head against her jaw. There was another soft laugh, and Lacey said, "You don't want him to stop what he's doing to have to clean up your hair, do you? Sorry, darlin,' but you _are_ shedding. Besides, Rhys should be about done. He's making lasagna for lunch if you want me to let you know when it's done. We'll be eating in Jack's office." As she talked, she was shifted the cat so that he was cradled like a baby in her arms and against her chest. Owen raised his eyebrows and Lacey shrugged ever so slightly, saying, "It's more comfortable for me this way. He doesn't seem to have a problem with it, either."

Probably enjoying it while it lasted, the lucky sod. Lacey continued, speaking softly as she reached the threshold of the door, "You know, there are times when I'd swear that Jack has kept his human mind inside his cat body. Not right now. He's more cat than human at the moment. I know, he sounds like himself, but he isn't trying to flirt at the moment." Owen's brain nearly broke at that point. But then, he remembered Jack licking at Tea-boy's fingers when the new kid poured his milk, and he realized she had a very good point. Lacey smiled and said, "I'll call you when Rhys tells me that the lasagna is ready. I need to check in with the girls and Ianto. And no comments from the peanut gallery about Ianto being one of the girls." Owen pouted at that as she turned back toward the door. Honestly, she ruined all his fun!

"Then get outta my med-bay! Have the NEST newbie bring me my lasagna!" Owen called after her. He nearly choked when Lacey shifted the cat, put one hand behind her back, and flipped him off, yelling, "OI! You're supposed to be the nice one!" Lacey gave a low laugh that reminded Owen how dangerous she could be (a woman who once blew some alien bounty hunter in half? **Not **someone you wanted as an enemy). Owen made a face at her, and went back to work. The novelty of a) having his boss turn into a cat and b) saying things to him when he couldn't respond was quickly vanishing. As much as Harkness drove him barking mad, Owen depended upon him a lot more than he was willing to admit.

He depended upon them all a lot more than he was willing to admit, even the Tea-boy. Ianto worried Owen, if he was really honest with himself. He was trying too hard to make himself indispensable to them all and trying too hard to fade into the background. People like that generally had something to hide, but Owen couldn't think of what that might be. He knew the kid came from Torchwood One, a group that Suzie hated with a white-hot passion. Neither Jack nor Lacey would share with anyone why she hated them, telling him only that Suzie had her reasons. But Suzie was never really nasty to the kid; she was, at absolute worst, indifferent.

There were other times when she acted as if he was the annoying little brother whom she never wanted, but God help anyone who messed with him. And Owen really didn't know much about Torchwood One, because Torchwood Three was usually the bane of his existence. He'd never met the head of Torchwood Two, but Harkness seemed to think he was an odd sort. Coming from Harkness, that was saying something. After a moment, he shook his head. He'd fret about his weird boss later. Right now, he needed to figure out this puzzle, which might help change his weird boss back into a (_mostly_) human being.

TWTWTWTWTW

Day by day, Lisa was losing her battle to hang onto her humanity. It frightened her at the best of times, and those '_best of times_' were becoming fewer and fewer. She felt her mouth telling Ianto to use whatever distraction was necessary to keep Captain Harkness from finding her, but it wasn't her brain providing the words. And Ianto, her poor, sweet Ianto, was still too traumatized by everything that happened to him, to them both, to register what the false Lisa was telling him. It wasn't just to distract the captain in whatever way he could, but lying to him about how much of Lisa was left and letting him believe there was a chance to restore her humanity fully.

And Ianto spent whatever time he could with her, telling her about Hoover Dam. Thus far, Captain Harkness hadn't permitted him to interact with the Autobots, fearing that he was still traumatized by the Cybermen and the Daleks. Lisa could appreciate that, but she feared what this was doing to Ianto. He wouldn't admit that he had nightmares, he wouldn't let anyone help him and retreated from any and all attempts to include him. And every time Lisa tried to tell Ianto that he would need the others, the Cyber-unit would take over and the pain was beyond excruciating. The Cyber part of her wanted him isolated, because he was more vulnerable that way. And even with the rage this provoked within Lisa, she still didn't have the strength to fight off the Cyberman. She wished once again that Captain Harkness would find her. On the other hand, maybe that wouldn't be such a good thing. Her own battle would be over, but what would happen to Ianto? That worried her. She wasn't afraid for herself, but she was terrified for Ianto.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come before now, Lisa. Something happened," Ianto murmured, drawing Lisa's attention to him. She managed a weak smile for him, to reassure him that she wasn't angry, and then Ianto told her what happened. Captain Harkness was turned into a cat. He was turned into a Siamese cat. Lisa listened in horror, wondering if it hurt as much to be turned into a cat as it did being partially converted. Ianto added, "I've been helping the others do research, to see if something like this has ever happened before. And, of course, in true Torchwood timing, it's when a sister agency has a newbie cross-training with us."

"Is his wife all right?" Lisa asked, remembering what Ianto told her about Lacey Harkness, especially how kind the American woman was to him while the two Sector Seven agents were loading her onto the Torchwood jet. And, she kept trying to get Ianto to talk to someone about what happened at Canary Wharf, preferably one of the psychiatrists affiliated with Torchwood's American sister agency. For that alone, Lisa knew that she would be eternally grateful to the other woman. She tried to imagine how she would feel, in the American's position, if it was Ianto who was turned into a cat, and shuddered.

"She isn't taking it too well. Oh, she's not lashing out or angry, but Suzie says she can always tell when Lacey is barely keeping it together. They've known each other for a long time, I suppose," Ianto replied absently. Lisa blinked back tears, thinking of her own friends, lost to her. If it wasn't because of the Cybermen and Daleks, then it was because of Lisa's own form. On the other hand, that could be traced right back to the Cybermen. She thought of what Ianto told her in the past about the friendship between the second in command of Torchwood America and the captain's wife, and wished with all her heart she could have meet either woman or both as Lisa Hallett, instead of the thing she was now.

She could almost see that life: she, Lacey Harkness, Suzie, and Toshiko sitting at a table, drinking tea or coffee or something. They were laughing and joking, sharing stories about their men, as little Corey Harkness sat in Lisa's lap, playing with her fingers. Ianto whispered, "Lisa, what is it? Do I need to adjust the pain medication?" She blinked and felt the wetness on her cheeks. Numbly, Lisa shook her head as Ianto wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs. He continued, "Then what is it? Just tell me and I'll find a way to get it for you." That made the tears come even faster.

She was spared from answering when Ianto grimaced, muttered something under his breath about '_bloody Suzie_,' and told her, stroking her face, "I'm sorry, I have to go. Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?" Lisa managed to shake her head, and Ianto kissed her forehead, murmuring, "I'll be back later. I love you." Lisa forced a weak smile and repeated the sentiment back to him. Ianto rose to his feet and walked away, the sound of his footsteps sounding as awful as they always did. Once more, Lisa cursed herself for surviving. Ianto was only twenty-three, he shouldn't walk like an old man when people couldn't see him. She cursed herself for surviving, Ianto for keeping her in this half-life, Captain Harkness for not stopping Yvonne Hartman, the woman herself for her arrogance, Lacey Harkness for not being converted or partially converted, and then hated herself for cursing three of the previous four.

"Well, well, well. It looks like we won't need you to destroy Torchwood America from the inside out after all. Harkness is out of the way, which makes the rest of this group far more vulnerable," a familiar voice sneered as Ianto's footsteps faded away. Lisa wasn't sure if it was even possible for her blood to still run cold, but it certainly felt that way as Sector Seven Agent Anthony Marshall emerged from the shadows. She didn't bother asking how he got in here, not when he helped to smuggle her into Hoover Dam. Marshall added with a sick smirk, "And surprise surprise, Keller's daughter is here, too. I can wipe them out all at the same time."

"You leave them _alone_. I may be the one who was partially converted, but you're the monster," Lisa hissed. Perhaps she was angrier than she normally would have been, given her own thoughts of a moment ago, but that wasn't important now. What was important was protecting Ianto and the staff members of Torchwood America. The trouble was, she wasn't sure how to do that. And Marshall just laughed in her face. **He**. **Laughed**. **In**. **Her**. **Face**. _Come just a little closer, you piece of shit_, Lisa thought bitterly, _just come a little closer and you'll see something really funny. Such as, you flying through the air_.

"What do you think you're going to do? What makes you think there's anything you can do to stop me, little girl? There's nothing you can do. _You_ are nothing!" Marshall fired back. Nothing, was she? _Step a little closer_, Lisa willed him, _just step a little closer and I will rip your heart out of your chest_! It took her a moment to realize that the Cyber was taking over again, but for the first time, she didn't fight it. And that scared her most of all. She was losing ground even faster than she realized, if she didn't even try to fight back against thinking along those lines.

"Nothing, am I? You spent a lot of time and energy, getting nothing into Hoover Dam, in that case. I think if either of us are nothing, then it's you. Such a little man, having to attack an innocent woman and child in order to prove your manhood! If only I were fully human, I'd kiss John Keller for taking your toys away, because that's how you're behaving-like a petulant child whose toys were taken away. You're despicable!" Lisa hissed at him. Marshall took another step toward her, and Lisa taunted him, "Keep coming, Agent Marshall. Keep coming and prove once and for all what a bully you really are!"

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the last sentence stopped Marshall's forward movement, but his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. All it would take was just a few more words, and he'd be within range. The question was, did she want to utter those words? Lisa whispered, "If anyone finds me, then it's all over, not just for me, but possibly for Ianto as well. But you know what, Marshall, I'm willing to take that chance it if it means you can't cause trouble. And who knows, maybe Ianto will finally get the help, the real help, he so desperately needs. I have a lot more faith in this Torchwood branch than the one that did this to me."

"You really mean that, don't you, Lisa Hallett? You really would sacrifice yourself, and your little boyfriend, to take me out of the picture," Marshall replied, his wonderment obvious. Lisa merely stared up at him, ignoring the jab at Ianto. After a moment, evidently finding whatever he was looking for in her features, he nodded slowly, saying, "All right, then. You've won this round. But don't think you've won the war, little girl. You do not know who you're messing with." Lisa allowed herself an eye-roll. Seriously? A comment from an American friend seemed particularly appropriate right now: just where did Sector Seven find this bloke, in Central Casting?

"Which of us is partially converted, Agent Marshall? Because if anyone doesn't know whom they're dealing with, then it's you. Because I know what you are. You're a selfish blow-hard with entitlement issues. And that's all you'll ever be. But me? Oh, I'm becoming something far more than you, and I think that's what burns you more than anything. That's it, isn't it?" Lisa asked, and laughed with delight at the way his face paled. It should frighten her that he would want to be anything like her, but right now, she was pleased to find an Achilles ' heel for this man who was prolonging her own personal hell. She laughed again, saying, "You're jealous of me! You poor, pathetic little man. _Tsk_, _tsk_, _tsk_."

"All right. All right, you metallic bitch. I'll leave, for now. But I _will _be back. You can count on that, I will come back and when I do, your boyfriend will be the first to die!" Marshall spat. Lisa merely maintained eye contact, and he spun around, swearing under his breath. Lisa relaxed back against the conversion unit, breathing hard. Actually, 'relaxed' was a bad way of putting it. More like, she collapsed. That didn't stop her from muttering under her breath about who in the hell he thought he was, the Terminator. Of course, she knew that he would be back, and with her luck, it would be while she was insensate. But for now, she bought the rest of Torchwood time, time they could use to return Captain Harkness to his natural state-and tried not to giggle at that thought. It wasn't funny, none of this was funny, but based on what she knew about him, it was likely that he would have a few interesting things to say about 'natural' when he was human once more!

TBC


	4. Chapter Three:  Man With a Plan

Author's Notes: A slightly shorter chapter this time around, but I'm moving the players into the positions they need to be. I'm anticipating one more actual chapter, followed by the epilogue, and then we get to the story with the real interaction between the Autobots and Torchwood. Some parts are written … I just need to edit them, since my original plans have change from the inception of the story. Typical Jack Harkness, throwing me curve balls. In this chapter, Ianto frets over Lisa and keeping her hidden; Rhys learns more about his new associates; while Agent Marshall plots (do you really expect anything else from him?).

Chapter Three

Man with a Plan

As it happened, Suzie was calling him for lunch: the NEST newbie Rhys, as she called him, made lasagna and he was expected to join the others. Being expected to join in made his deception far more complicated. However, it was better than the risk of someone looking for him. Lacey did that before: she sought him out when he ignored her communications that lunch was ready, and that scared the hell out of him. He intercepted her before she found Lisa, averting a catastrophe. There were many times when he wished that Captain Harkness wasn't married, much less that his wife tried to mother his team. He failed to take Lacey Harkness into account when he agreed to the proposal set forward by the two Sector Seven agents.

Well, there was no help for it. Ianto Jones would do his best to make sure the well-meaning American woman wouldn't be harmed, but his priority was Lisa. She was first, second, and last in his thoughts … she was depending on him, and he already failed her once. He would not fail her again, regardless of what it cost him. The one good thing was that Lacey backed off with her attempts to help him: whether it was because she was perceptive enough to figure that out on her own, or because Captain Harkness spoke to her, Ianto just didn't know. And, he supposed, it really didn't make a difference, not right now.

The young Welshman washed up before joining the rest of the team in the conference room. Suzie and Tosh sat side by side, while Owen carefully set plates in front of each person. Wait, what? Owen was setting the table? Suzie murmured as Ianto slid into the seat beside hers, "Owen decided to be an arse to Rhys, and Lacey didn't like that too much. Said if he thought so highly of himself, he would have no problem setting a nice table after all the work Rhys put into making lunch." Ianto felt his brows trying to climb up into his hairline as the incongruity of Owen setting the table continued to warp his mind, and Suzie added with a faint smile, "Owen forgot something very important: don't piss off Lacey when she's anxious. She'll be back in a minute." There was a distinctly unhappy mrroww coming from a nearby seat. Jack, no doubt.

As if summoned by Suzie's observations, the captain's wife entered the room. Owen looked up at Lacey's entrance and glowered at her. Ianto watched in fascination as the resident mother hen returned the gaze steadily and sat down. There was a blur of motion, and then the cat settled on the top of the chair. How he was balancing, Ianto had no idea, and he tried to tell himself that it didn't matter if he fell from his perch. Still, he found himself watching the feline as he batted at his wife's long dark hair. Rhys bustled over to the table, saying, "Lacey, I'm glad you joined us. And isn't this much nicer than your husband's office?" The cat behind her mrrowed, sounding somewhat unhappy, and Rhys added, "None of that, now … your wife is just taking care of everyone to the best of her ability, Captain. Besides, don't you want Miss Suzie and Miss Tosh to take care of her in turn? When you're settled, Lacey, I'll have your plate ready again."

Owen responded with a dirty look for Lacey, who looked less than impressed, but offered Rhys a gentle smile as he set the steaming plate in front of her. Suzie, for her own part, snickered at Owen's expression. Ianto decided that he really didn't want to know what was going on and instead, simply tucked into the lasagna once Rhys gave him a plate, listening to the conversations around him with half an ear. He was worried about Lisa. Yes, he was always worried about Lisa, but her tears were different this time. He could tell the difference between emotional tears and physical tears. But Lisa refused to tell him what was wrong, instead weeping that she loved him so very much. He kissed her tears away and murmured that he loved her, too.

"OI! Tea-boy!" Owen blared, shattering Ianto's protective bubble. A second after that, he yelped and Ianto looked up, bemused. The Londoner was grimacing and glaring at both Suzie and Lacey, all but whining, "What the hell was that for?" The two young women just looked at him with identical expressions of '_who, me_?' and Ianto was inclined to believe them. If either of them kicked Owen under the table (which was the most likely scenario), they would be looking smug (in Suzie's case) or smiling at him serenely (in Lacey's). By process of elimination, that left … Owen bellowed, "TOSH!"

She looked up from her lasagna, responding, "Your legs aren't broken, Owen, you're more than capable of getting something to drink on your own. Besides, I was trying to read over my report and your bellowing is breaking my concentration." That message delivered, Toshiko returned her attention to the report in question, blithely ignoring Owen's gob-smacked expression. Ianto returned his own attention to his food, reinforcing the walls that prevented people from getting too close. With Owen, it wasn't that hard, since he was a world-class arse. Suzie and Tosh both tended to get absorbed into the work they did. The captain and his wife made it harder for him to hide: Captain Harkness blew past his defenses like they were wet paper and Lacey tried to take care of everyone, not just her husband.

"She's right, Owen, you're fully healthy and you aren't working right now; get your own drink. No, Rhys, sit down and eat. You've made a wonderful lunch, now you should enjoy it," Lacey said, her voice never rising above her normal tone. It was, however, what Suzie called her 'Captain's Lady' voice, and said that you listened or else. Owen sulked a bit, but got up and went to the icebox (refrigerator … it was called the refrigerator on this side of the Atlantic), and Lacey told the newcomer, "Thank you, Rhys. I think this is exactly what I needed." Rhys beamed around his fork, especially after the rest of the team chimed in with their thanks. Ianto tried not to feel resentful for the thanks that Rhys was receiving and Ianto never heard … after all, the last thing he wanted was to be noticed … but as ever, emotions and rationality collided.

"So how are you finding the United States in general and Torchwood in specific, Rhys?" Suzie asked, directing the conversation toward safer waters. Safer, because Lacey's attention was directed back to Rhys Williams, and away from Ianto. The other Welshman sighed deeply, drawing laughter from everyone at the table, including Lacey. Ianto merely smiled politely at the laughter. Suzie added, laughing, "I know. It's the little things that take the biggest adjustments; that and the discovery of just how wrong the telly and the movies get it. I found that out the hard way when I met Lacey's mum, Corinna the original." Ianto breathed a little easier as Suzie launched into a story about the first time she met both of Lacey's parents, John and Corinna Keller. He would finish eating and then return to his duties.

TWTWTWTWTW

It wasn't easy, talking Lacey into eating lunch in the conference room, especially after she already told her husband's team that they were eating in his office. She was sensitive to her husband's moods, and according to her, he felt more comfortable in his office than in the conference room. More to the point, she was more than a little stubborn and even more protective of her husband. However, Rhys reminded her that she also needed to take care of the rest of the team, and what were the odds that they would actually eat lunch while it was still warm if they weren't all sitting down together? Rhys watched her mull that over, before she nodded a bit ruefully. He had a feeling they would be getting along just fine. Her husband … well, Rhys only had a few minutes before the captain was turned into a cat, but he was a little on the eccentric side. And Rhys had enough self-awareness to realize it was a good thing he met the captain before his Gwen did. Captain Harkness was an unnervingly handsome man and Rhys was … well, Rhys. What woman wouldn't fancy the tall, dark-haired director? That would have led to Rhys resenting the other man, and he had a feeling that would have been a shame. From what he heard from both Major Lennox and Secretary Keller, Jack Harkness was a fiercely loyal friend, and an incredibly dangerous enemy.

There were plenty of reasons why someone wouldn't like the captain, Rhys decided as he listened to the stories the rest of the team shared: he could be a bit of an arse, for one. And there were times when he was high-handed, but after the time Rhys spent with NEST, he was starting to understand why. There was a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and as Optimus told him when he asked the giant Autobot about the cross-training, Jack Harkness' confidence or arrogance was the same sort demonstrated by the best of the best. There were times when you couldn't make nice, when you had to swan in and take over. When lives were on the line, hurt feelings really didn't count for much.

With all of that said, he liked Captain Harkness. True, he only had a few minutes to talk to him before all hell broke loose, but for all his flirting, there was something immensely likeable about the brash captain. And he liked him a helluva lot more than Simmons, not that this took a great deal of effort. According to Major Lennox, Simmons wasn't as bad as he was when the major first met him, back when Optimus and the others first arrived on earth. He still annoyed the hell out of what remained of the major's unit (including Rhys himself), but apparently, working with Captain Harkness tempered the more aggravating parts of Simmons' personality.

Lacey, in some ways, was her husband's opposite … quiet and soft-spoken, the mother hen of the group. She was the cute girl next door, not as stunning as her husband, but Captain Harkness looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Rhys might have been a simple lorry driver, but to him, that said more about Captain Harkness than any words might have. He flirted constantly, but he loved his wife. And she accepted his flirting as a matter of course. Rhys knew women back in Wales who would have looked down their noses at Lacey, for her quiet acceptance of her husband's flirting. But … maybe they were wrong. Maybe there was more to the captain's flirting and to Lacey's acceptance than what there seemed to be. Rhys worked around robots that hid in plain sight as cars and trucks and lorries … maybe there was more to the captain and his lady than what met the eye.

He was still making up his mind about the rest of the team. Ianto seemed to be a nice bloke; a little on the quiet side and tended to retreat into the shadows. He was the first to leave, politely thanking Rhys for the wonderful lunch and informing Lacey that he would return to his research. Lacey offered one of her gentle smiles and told him to do that, they would handle the clean-up. Interestingly enough, he paused, but Lacey repeated, "Go. We can do our own cleaning up, Ianto. Thank you." The young man blushed and actually skittered out of the room. Lacey sat back with a sigh, murmuring, "That boy worries me."

Owen snorted, muttering, "You've said that before, Lacey, more than once … ow, Tosh!" However, Tosh just looked up with a bemused frown, and Rhys watched in amusement as Suzie smirked and waved her hand mockingly at the Londoner. Owen glowered at her, snarking, "She learned it from you, didn't she? Bloody hell, I take a lot of abuse from you three." There was no acrimony in the man's voice, only exasperation. He sounded like a brother whining at his three sisters, and Rhys opted not to mention that. It wasn't real likely that Owen would appreciate the sentiment. Especially since random comments indicated that Owen and Suzie were sleeping together. No, he really didn't think Owen would appreciate that, not at all.

"Actually, the three of us feed off each other. And Lacey feeds off Jack … OW! Lacey!" Suzie yowled and Rhys looked down at his plate, trying not to smile. He learned the hard way that he didn't want the attention of the ladies. They were just plain dangerous. Suzie sulked a bit, muttering, "That wasn't nice at all, Lacey, I thought you were my friend." Even if Rhys bit back his laughter, Toshiko wasn't nearly as circumspect, as the pretty young tech wizard started giggling. Suzie glared at Tosh, adding, "You're supposed to be my friend, too."

Tosh merely grinned at Suzie, her eyes sparkling, as she sang, "_Gonna buy a one-way ticket, on a westbound train _... eek!" Lacey shook with barely suppressed laughter, while Rhys exchanged a look with Owen … and the two men _slowly_ backed away from the table. He wasn't so sure about Owen, but Rhys knew that when the women in his life got that look in their eyes, wise men ran like the bloody hellhounds were after them. Tosh added, "If you'll recall, Suzie, that's what you and Lacey were singing the first time I met you."

"Singing into bananas, back to back while Corey applauded. Quite a bit different than the shows Jack and I provided her … Owen, get your mind out of the gutter. The most we've ever done while Corey watched is kiss!" Lacey retorted. Rhys was still shaking with laughter, even as Owen glowered at his boss' wife. Lacey merely glowered back, and the entire table was silenced when the cat above her stretched and mrrowed at Owen with obvious annoyance. And then Suzie started laughing, Owen still staring at the cat in shock.

"I guess that's you told, Owen, and by a cat no less. Oh, we're going to get such mileage out of this, once Jack is changed back!" she chortled. The young woman pushed away the plate and rose to her feet, adding, "Okay, I'm back to work as well. I know better than to tell you not to worry, Lace, just try to keep Paws there out of trouble. That's a full time job, in and of itself, I know." Once more, Rhys bit back his laughter, as well as anything he might have wanted to say, especially when the cat responded with another displeased 'mrroww.' Suzie kissed the top of Lacey's head, and then left the conference.

"And then there were three," Lacey observed dryly. The cat responded with an annoyed sounding 'mrroww!' She sat back in her chair, in the classic gesture of '_I'm done_,' and Rhys snagged her plate before the cat decided to torture them all by eating what little remained of the lasagna. She offered him a grateful smile, saying, "Thanks, Rhys. Most of the time, the team gets take-out … or, I should say … take-away. Either way, they order in a lot, and I don't always have the opportunity to cook a proper meal for them. And yes, Jack, I know you're still here, so none of that." Rhys snickered as he rose to his feet and took both his and her plates to the tabletop behind him. He barely bit back a smile when he saw the cat roll onto his back, batting at Lacey's wrists with his paws.

"I'm gettin' outta here while the gettin' is good. Lacey, give me a shout if you need me for anything, other than cat-sitting," Owen sighed, rising to his feet. Rhys was amused to note (although he didn't say anything) that the doctor put his hand on the young woman's shoulder, and that she rested her cheek against the back of his hand. He was even more amused when the cat butted his head against the doctor's wrist, and Owen responded by lightly stroking his hand over the cat's ears and down his back. However, he pretended not to notice and Owen breezed out of the room, leaving Rhys, Lacey and Jack alone in the conference room. The cat leapt down from the top of the chair (it was still a mystery to Rhys how he kept from falling) and into his wife's lap, where he settled with a contented purr.

Lacey petted him lightly, observing, "Helluva first day for cross-training." Rhys nodded, and his human hostess added, "If it makes you feel better, Rhys, you're doing just fine. Torchwood by itself is mind-bending, but you're handling the insanity really well." There was an approving 'mrroww' from Jack, and Lacey added with a laugh, "Jack thinks so, too, and he's wary of civilians getting involved. He's not even happy when I get involved with Torchwood, and I've known about it for years." Rhys could understand that … technically speaking, he was a civilian, but after being in NEST even a little while, his perspective dramatically changed. And now he could see just how disastrous civilian involvement could be.

"Well, thank you for saying so. There really is a different mindset, isn't there?" Rhys inquired and Lacey bobbed her head, her expression growing thoughtful. Rhys continued, "I've learned a lot since … well, since I joined up with Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps." Had to be careful that he didn't reveal too much. Major Lennox told him that Captain Harkness had ways of making people forget. He added after a moment, "And I know that sometimes, I state what's obvious to them, or to someone like you. I mean, this is how you grew up. No, not in Torchwood, but your tad was a high-ranking officer in the military. The way you grew up must have been so different than the way I did." Her smile grew wistful … melancholy, even … at that statement, but there was no real sadness in her eyes.

"In some ways, yes. I moved around a great deal, every time my father received a new post. I was born in Colorado; lived in Kansas, Wisconsin while my dad was on a temporary tour of duty, Texas, Kentucky, Italy, and Indiana, to name just a few places. I went to college in Pennsylvania. Lived in Cardiff, too, but that was after I married Jack, and I've moved a few times since then. Our first base was in West Virginia; we're still moving into Hoover Dam, as you can see," Lacey said, gesturing around the general area. Rhys felt his mouth round with a surprised '_oh_.' Wow. She smiled at him gently, adding, "That's my normal, Rhys, and it's the only way I know how to live. Yeah, it wasn't always easy, the moving around and being kidnapped when I was eight wasn't a lot of fun, but for the most part, it was worth it. My God, some of the places I saw!"

Her eyes were shining brightly and he could … wait. She was kidnapped when she was eight years old? Rhys stared at her in horror, and Lacey blushed, adding, "Sorry, that kinda slipped out." Rhys kinda doubted that, but he wouldn't call her on it this time. Lacey went on, "When I was eight, there was a woman who was obsessed with my father, to the point that she convinced herself that I was really her daughter. She had a few goons break into our house and kidnap me while ... while a family friend was babysitting me. It was terrifying, but the thing I remember most was my absolute certainty that my parents would come for me. And they did."

"Of course they did," Rhys murmured, stunned by her story, "you're their little girl. And you always will be." Lacey smiled at that and returned her attention to stroking the feline in her lap. Rhys was grateful. He needed time to think about the recent revelations. What kind of life did Lacey lead, even before she married Captain Harkness, that she spoke of that kidnapping so easily? He didn't understand it. Not at all. And even more worrisome, given his current occupation, he wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to understand it.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

He should have never let that tin bitch get the better of him; for that matter, he should have moved his plans further along, back when he realized (as his former partner did) that there was no way he could use the partially converted Lisa Hallett to his advantage. After his confrontation with Lisa, he left her chamber, but he didn't leave Hoover Dam. No, Agent Anthony Marshall spent too much years in Hoover Dam as a Sector Seven agent, he knew too many ways in and out and even more places to hide. After the tin bitch threatened him, he found one of those hiding places and thought. It was more like 'stewed,' but he preferred 'thought.' There was much to think about, much to consider, and much to plan.

By now, he realized that none of his plans would come to fruition. Still, not all was lost. Harkness was a cat (wasn't that one for the record books), and that still left his wife far more vulnerable. Even if he couldn't use the cyber-cunt to destroy Torchwood and by extension, Keller's daughter, he could still destroy her. Lennox was gone, and none of the Torchwood operatives would be able to stop him from blowing out her brains or snapping her neck. She had them all working on a way to change Harkness back … there would be no one to stop him. And Williams … well, he was too pathetic to do much of anything.

The question wasn't if he would kill her, but how he would do it. Oh, it wasn't simply the act he had to consider, but whether he would take her life and then leave her body for the others to find and then kill them. He could also capture them all, and then murder her in front of her husband's people, before taking their lives as well. He could employ one of those two scenarios, and then leave one person alive, so Keller would know why his precious daughter died. Yes, that was a good idea. Leave one person alive … either the NEST newbie or Hallett's mewling boyfriend. Hmm, maybe not Jones … that could prove to be too dangerous to Marshall.

And so, he thought and stewed and plotted. He was Anthony Marshall, a Sector Seven agent, and he had carte blanche to do whatever he wanted up until the previous year. John Keller would pay for taking away his '_do what I want and not get caught_' card away from him. Keller took away Marshall's reason for existence … Marshall would take away part of his legacy.

TBC


	5. Chapter Four:  A Move Too Far

Author's Notes: Here's the second to the last chapter, followed by an epilogue. This story didn't end up where I anticipated, but at this point, I'm used to that. Here we have Will Lennox and Bobby Epps listening to the instincts that have been honed during their careers; Ianto finding himself in a very unenviable position; and Jack reminding everyone that he's dangerous even when he's naked as a jaybird (maybe more dangerous). Next is the epilogue. I do have the prologue and first chapter of the next story completed. That's the story which was the impetus for the entire series, and it's called _Much More than Meets the Eye_.

Chapter Four

A Move Too Far

Boulder City, Nevada

Temporary NEST Administrative Offices

"I don't know about you, man, but I got a bad feeling," Sergeant Robert Epps told his friend and commanding officer. They were leaving the office which SecDef set up while he was in Nevada. From what little their big boss (as opposed to Big Boss) said, the building in which SecDef had his office actually belonged to his son-in-law. By now, Bobby was pretty much done with the '_surprised by anything Jack Harkness does or says_' thing. Will Lennox cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at him as they headed to the elevator and Bobby continued, "This thing at Hoover Dam, Jack being turned into a cat. Yeah, I know, it was some freaky thing sent to Torchwood by those creeps at Three, but with Jack out of commission, they're damn vulnerable." It was something that was preying on Bobby's mind ever since he found out about the industrial accident at Hoover Dam. That was Lennox's suggested categorization, and it worked as well as anything.

"I don't know, Epps … they tend to be pretty capable in a fight. Remember when they came out to help Jack rescue us?" the major pointed out. Bobby grimaced. Yeah, he tried to forget that, especially since his wife Monique reminded him every chance she got (usually when she thought his ego needed a pin prick). On the other hand, he had to admit, it could have been worse. She could have actually met Jack. He shuddered. No, that could have gotten unpleasant, for Bobby himself. Monique probably would have loved Jack. Sarah Lennox did, but tended to treat him as an annoying older brother. Will added thoughtfully, "On the other hand … I would feel better if we were there while Jack is out of commission. I think Rhys would feel better, too."

Bobby snorted; yeah, he could imagine. While months of exposure to the brash captain gave the rest of their unit a chance to get used to Jack's flirting and ancient eyes, Rhys was dealing with a lot at once. He added, "On the other hand, Rhys has reacted pretty well to everything we've thrown at him so far. He didn't turn into a gibbering idiot when he met Big Buddha, which says something for him." That was something not everyone could say. Sure, Rhys was a bit nonplussed (okay, a lot), but still, he stayed focus and he did his job.

"Yeah, but this is something new for Torchwood, for us, and for Rhys," Will pointed out. The two men looked at each other, and Will said, "Let me inform Banachek, and then we'll head back. Hopefully, he'll let Simmons know." Technically speaking, he was the liaison with Torchwood, but Jack recently learned of his behavior toward Toshiko Sato. And no one messed with Tosh. Bobby'd never seen Jack truly angry, and he hoped to never see it again. While Jack tended to his people and brought his temper back under control, Banachek had Simmons doing paperwork … and told him that if he pulled something like that again, he'd send him back to New York to work in his mother's deli.

Both Will and Bobby shuddered at that particular threat. Since certain elements of Sector Seven were merged into NEST, they heard quite a few stories about Simmons and his family. Mothers were scary by themselves (as they knew from their own wives), but Mrs. Simmons was in a class all her own. She even scared Tom Banachek, and after all those years of working for Sector Seven, that wasn't easy to do. After a moment, Bobby observed, "While you're doing that, I'll call Lacey and let her know that we're on our way back. You ever thank God, whatever God you believe in, that she don't ask a lot of questions?"

"Every damn day. Okay, I'll meet you in the car, just, uhm, don't leave without me. If I have to be stuck even a few hours with Simmons, I think I might kill him," Lennox observed and Bobby bit back a snicker. Yeah, no argument there. Simmons still hadn't forgiven the major for holding him at gunpoint. Bobby could see the agent's point, but only so far. No, they didn't know what would happen, but if the kid's Camaro could be an asset, he could be an asset. They wouldn't have defeated the Decepticons, however temporarily, without Bumblebee. And Bumblebee would have never had that chance without Keller. Will's choice to side with the kid was a game-changer, but so was Keller's choice to side with them. And that was something Bobby Epps swore to never forget.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Meet you there," Bobby answered and the major nodded as they stepped inside the elevator car. Conversation turned next to a communication Optimus Prime received earlier in the week. There were more Autobots coming, and while he didn't know their exact identities (or designations, as he put it), he knew that there would be eight more. It was during that conversation, as Ratchet and Ironhide mused about whom those Autobots might be, that NEST found out that the Cybertronians (none of that NBE shit) also had multiple births. Or, more correctly, multiple sparkings. There were at least two sets of twins (Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, and Skids and Mudflap) and one set of triplets (the Arcee triplets). They knew, of course, that Optimus and Megatron were brothers; although, what surprised nearly everyone was the revelation that of the two, Optimus was the younger. It was bad enough that he had to fight his brother; but fight his older brother, whom he probably looked up to while they were maturing? That sucked. That _really_ sucked.

Still, it made a weird sort of sense that Big Man adopted Jack Harkness as 'his little brother.' Bobby, like Will, knew that Jack couldn't stay dead. They'd actually seen him die and come back to life, heard his gasp for breath and saw his initial terror and disorientation. Forget living who knows how long and watching people you love died … that was the stuff of nightmares right there! Bobby shuddered, both the first time he saw and now. Fortunately, Optimus was there to calm his chosen brother and reassure him. Other times, Lacey was there to hold him and whisper that everything was all right, and NEST members watched in silent respect. How the hell did you live like that?

Countless times since NEST was formed and Bobby met Jack, he wondered if he would be strong enough to live like that. To die, sometimes painfully and horribly, and come back to life; to watch everyone he loved wither and die; or worse, have people turn against him because he couldn't stay dead and aged very slowly, if at all. Bobby Epps was a warrior, an Airman with more than a decade in service to his country. He went up against Decepticons in Qatar and in Mission City. He saw his friends die at the hands of those Decepticons … Fig, O'Donnell, so many others … but the idea of never truly dying and returning terrified him. NEST talked about Jack in the rec rooms. Not everyone liked him (Lennox and Bobby did), but everyone agreed, however reluctantly, that they couldn't carry his burdens.

They couldn't … but at least he would have Big Man. And who could go wrong with Optimus Prime as an ally?

TWTWTWTWTW

After lunch, Ianto returned to the computers, unsure of how to feel about his dismissal. Cleaning up after the others was part of his job, and he resented Lacey somewhat when she told them that they could clean up after themselves. At the same time, wasn't that what he wanted; for them to take responsibility for their own sodding messes every once in a while? Ianto was growing more and more confused, and he had both husband and wife to thank for that. Lacey tried to take care of him, along with the others; and Captain Harkness wreaked havoc on his heart and his hormones. Ianto was confused and exhausted with taking care of Lisa, and now this happened.

There were no hits (not that Ianto really expected any); however, just to be safe, he widened the search parameters. Lacey referred to that as '_covering all bases_,' Ianto called it common sense. He blushed the first time he blurted that out, but she just smiled at him, touching his cheek, and reminded him that the two weren't mutually exclusive. Lacey tended to treat him as a little brother, or maybe her best friend's little brother. Ianto both loved and hated it: he loved that someone was trying to take care of him, and he hated that anyone was making his deception far more difficult, hated that when she treated him as a little brother, there was nothing condescending in her attitude. If she would have done that, it would have been far easier to hate her. And Captain Harkness flirted with him, giving him appreciative once-overs that made Ianto's mouth go dry and his heart race uncomfortably. He had to cure Lisa, had to find a cure for Lisa, and soon, before even the illusion that Ianto had any control over his life dissipated.

The computer began to run the program once more, this time with the new parameters. It would take at least forty-five minutes to run, giving Ianto time to check on Lisa and let her know what was happening on the outside. While she didn't specifically say so, Ianto sometimes had the feeling that his stories about the others in Torchwood America gave her something to hold onto. She loved hearing about his rare encounters with Corinna Harkness, the captain's five year old daughter. If he loved his wife, he absolutely adored his daughter. He was hyper-protective of the little girl, and when Lisa was told of this, she offered, '_maybe he had a child whom he lost_.' Ianto acknowledged that was possible, and changed the subject.

He should have realized something was wrong as soon as he entered the chamber he was using to care for Lisa. She was awake, and staring at him with horror. Ianto didn't have time to ask her what was wrong, because something slammed into the back of his head. Stunned, he fell to his knees, hearing Lisa crying through a haze of pain. A terrifyingly familiar voice hissed, "I knew there was a reason I let that sap talk me into letting you live. Even a pathetic little worm like you is capable of being useful once in a while."

Agent Marshall. It was Agent Marshall. Ianto tried to think beyond the pain, tried to figure just what the hell was going on. However, he wasn't given that opportunity. Marshall twisted his arm behind his back, drawing a muted cry from the confused and frightened young man, adding, "Now, we're going to take a little walk, you and I. I'm going to do what I should have done all along, and simply put a bullet in your captain and then his wife, and then I'll end your precious Lisa once I'm finished with the others. And there's nothing you can do about it, because you'll be the first to die. Aren't I kind, to end you first?"

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Ianto all but begged, fighting back tears as the agent dragged him to his feet, forcing him to walk out of the chamber. He was rewarded with a punch to his lower back, one that almost sent him to his knees again, but Marshall dragged him out of the chamber and into the main part of the Hub (as the captain and Suzie continued to call it). Tosh was working at her computer, and as footsteps sounded, she looked up. Whatever she was about to say died on her lips as she stared at Marshall and Ianto. She looked horrified, and then furious. Ianto took some small comfort in that, although he knew Tosh was really angry that someone slipped by her defenses, rather than what was happening to him.

"Tosh, I was … what the hell? Ianto? You okay, kid?" Suzie asked, joining Tosh at the computer. Ianto shook his head, blinking back his tears. The second in command said gently, "You will be, I promise. You didn't survive Canary Wharf to die now and like this." Suzie could be a bitch on wheels, she could be callous and indifferent, and on occasion, she could be gentleness personified. A mask slipped into place as she stared at the man holding Ianto hostage, growling, "Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

"Sector Seven Agent Anthony Marshall, and I want what's owed to me. I want my life back, Miss Costello. Since I can't have that, I'll take the life of Secretary Keller's firstborn child, since he's the one who stole what's mine. Quid pro quo," the former Sector Seven agent sneered. Ianto closed his eyes as Suzie's eyes blazed at the threat to her best friend. Oh God. Oh God, he'd been _so _stupid. He, and Lisa, they were used by this bastard to get back at the Secretary of Defense for shutting down Sector Seven. He'd been so damn **stupid**! He refused to think about the implications of what that meant for Lisa … he couldn't think about that, not if he wanted to keep his sanity right now.

"Give it up, Marshall!" a familiar voice demanded and Ianto opened his eyes. Major Will Lennox and Sergeant Robert Epps stood side by side, aiming their weapons at Marshall. Ianto was relieved beyond words that they were here, though he couldn't figure out when they returned. That was the good news. The bad news? If they fired before he had the chance to get out of the way, those bullets would tear right through Ianto's body. Major Lennox continued, "Yeah, we're back sooner than we anticipated, Lace, but both of us were getting a bad feeling. Figured that with Jack out of commission, you guys would be a helluva more vulnerable."

"No need to apologize, Will, I'm glad to see you guys. Any idea who this person is and what he has against my father?" Lacey Harkness asked, cradling the cat in her arms, Rhys Williams standing behind her protectively, his normal pleasant face cold with rage. Ianto couldn't believe it. She stood there so calmly, so serenely, talking to Major Lennox as if this was an everyday occurrence. She smiled gently at Ianto, saying, "It's gonna be okay, sweetheart. We won't let anything happen to you." He blinked back and managed a tiny nod. She smiled at him again, rolling her eyes as the cat left the sanctuary of her arms and climbed up to her shoulder. Lacey muttered, "You know, I'm gonna start calling you 'monkey,' you're as bad as Corey. Well, Agent Marshall? What is it that you have against my father?"

"Agent Marshall was Sector Seven. A black, black ops agency that very few within the government knew about. 'Do what I want and get away with it,' is how Agent Simmons put it when he and his men kidnapped Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes," Major Lennox replied. He paused, looked sheepish, and added, "Before you ask, yeah, that's part of the stuff you aren't supposed to know about, Lacey. In any event, your dad shut them down. The more reasonable members of Sector Seven were assimilated into the new organization. The more radical were given a severance package. I'm betting this creep wanted to take Torchwood down, since Jack and his group replaced Sector Seven here."

"Well, well, well, the soldier has a brain. You should have joined Sector Seven, rather than the military. And you were smart enough not to ask how I got in. I worked here for years, I know about entrances you have no idea of," Marshall sneered, and Ianto nearly smiled at the protective flare of anger in Lacey's dark eyes. Oh, yes. He heard what military brats were like … and Lacey never made a secret of her pride in being a military brat. To youngsters such as Lacey and her sisters, the military was as much a part of their family as their parents and siblings. His small smile dissipated when Marshall shoved him away. Things happened very quickly after that. As Ianto fell to his knees, Lacey moved forward to help him, and Marshall backhanded her hard across the face. Rhys grabbed her as the cat leapt from Lacey's shoulder and at Marshall. If it was possible for a cat to sound pissed off, he did. But Marshall fired at the feline in mid-air, and the cat … Jack … dropped to the ground. Lacey screamed in horror, and it took the combined strength of Rhys and Ianto to keep from running to him.

Jack … Jack was dead. He was dead and it was Ianto's fault, because … oh God, Jack was dead. His confusion over the handsome captain was obliterated, because Jack was gone, and Ianto had been deceiving him on so many levels, and he would never find out about Lisa. The traumatized young man buried his face against Lacey's hair, and saw Major Lennox do something very strange. He threw a coat, which Ianto recognized as the captain's, over the cat's lifeless body with his free hand. Tosh asked coldly, "Do you really think this will go down easily? Do you think any of us will give up without a fight, after we saw you murder our captain? No. No. You threatened Lacey, you hurt Ianto, and you killed Jack."

"Oh, this won't be easy, Tosh. For any of us," Major Lennox replied, returning his hand to stabilize the gun. Ianto noticed him glance warily at the coat covering the lifeless body of their captain. And was that lump getting larger? The major continued, "I don't mind taking you in dead, Marshall, but it was requested that I at least attempt to bring you in alive." Ianto frowned, both at the growing lump under the coat and at the major's words. What was he doing? He and Epps both had guns, Ianto was no longer in the way, why didn't they shoot him? Unless … unless Major Lennox was buying time? But for what? The major went on after a moment, "You have a choice: put the gun down or die. Because if you try to hurt anyone here, we will shoot you dead, and lose no sleep over it."

Ianto wasn't the only one who was growing suspicious of Lennox talking. Marshall asked, "What the hell are you up to, soldier boy? I don't buy this excuse of yours that a request was made to bring me, or other agents like me, in alive. So what exactly are you up to? You're stalling. The question is why." Ianto took a cursory look around, to see if any of the others had any idea of what was going on. Owen, as usual, looked disgusted; Tosh looked angry and worried; Suzie looked like she was a volcano on the verge of erupting; and Lacey … Lacey looked hopeful. She looked anxious but hopeful. Why?

"He's waiting for me," a cold voice informed the rogue. Ianto's breath caught in his throat, and carefully, oh so carefully, he looked in the direction of that voice. Where the cat fell only moments earlier stood Captain Jack Harkness, naked as the day he was born aside from his greatcoat and an expression that could be most accurately described as 'thunderous.' Without ever taking his eyes from the rogue agent, Sergeant Epps handed the captain a weapon, which the director took with a murmured '_thank you_.' Said weapon was quickly brought to bear on the deathly-pale agent and Captain Harkness said, very coldly, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Personally, I'd rather do it the hard way since you struck my wife, but if my father-in-law wants you alive, I'll do my best to oblige him. Put the gun down. Now."

Ianto held his breath, tightening his arms around Lacey, and hoping that Lisa was safe. For a long moment, Marshall just stood there, gun still in his hand, and Ianto could just see his mind racing as he tried to figure out a way out of this. Over Lacey's head, Ianto heard Rhys breathe, "Why doesn't he shoot the sodding gun out of his hand, like they do in the movies?" That … was actually a pretty good question. Ianto looked at the young woman they held between them protectively. And despite his attitude, Owen used the distraction of Jack's return to pull Suzie and Tosh to safety behind the NEST commanding officers.

"Mainly because this is real life, Rhys, and shooting someone's hand is a helluva lot trickier than it looks. If Jack, or the boys, shoot him in the hand or the arm, they run the risk of the gun going off and hitting one of us," Lacey replied quietly, though with a touch of acid in her voice. Ianto blinked. Oh. That made sense. He looked at his fellow Welshman, who was evidently thinking the exact same thing. Lacey muttered, "Not that it makes being part of a stand-off any better or easier. Sorry for snapping at you, Rhys, you didn't deserve that." Yes, he felt the exact same way. He wasn't the only one … Marshall's eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned, the gun in his hands swinging back toward Lacey. That was the last mistake he made. As one, Captain Harkness, Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps fired, and Marshall collapsed to the ground.

He could never hurt anyone again … and couldn't tell anyone about Lisa. Ianto closed his eyes with relief. For now, they were safe.

TWTWTWTWTW

Jack was pretty sure that he was a cat when he died. Yes, he knew he was in a cat's body when he died, but he was pretty sure that his mind was that of a cat as well. He remembered very little aside from seeing the rogue agent back-handing Lacey when she moved to help someone, though his cat-brain was a bit fuzzy about whom that someone was. It didn't matter, though; she wasn't threatening Marshall, she was trying to help someone, one of Jack's people. And no one harmed Jack's Lacey. No one.

"Uhm, not that I'm not grateful, or anything … but was it necessary for all three of you to shoot him?" Owen asked, his voice oddly subdued. Both Will and Bobby simply looked at him, and Owen swallowed hard, backing away. He mumbled something that sounded like, '_right, then_.' Jack ignored him, once he was sure that Owen was all right. A quick glance told him that both Tosh and Suzie were fine as well: shaken, but otherwise fine. Rhys and Ianto were still shielding Lacey protectively, and Jack nodded to them, before holding his hand out to Lacey.

She was in his arms a heartbeat later, and Jack pressed a light kiss to her temple, whispering, "We're going to have a little talk about you putting yourself in danger, pretty lady." That provoked a sound that was a half laugh and half sob, and she murmured, '_pot, kettle, my love_.' He kissed her hair and reminded her softly, "I come back, but you don't. Don't do that again, okay? I need to thank Will for keeping you out of trouble when I was first changed." Lacey merely tightened her arms around his waist. He wasn't truly angry with her, but she scared the ever-living hell of him when she did that.

Movement caught his attention, and Jack looked up to see Ianto slumped against Rhys Williams. He told both men, "Thanks for keeping my Lacey-girl safe. Assuming we haven't scared you off, Rhys, would you mind helping Ianto there to the infirmary? No arguments, Jones-Ianto-Jones, considering Rhys there is holding you up." Owen was already moving toward the infirmary, looking determined. Jack knew his doctor well enough to realize that once he was done with Ianto, he would want to examine Lacey and might want to examine Jack as well. He would put that off as long as he could.

"Scared me off? I'm not that easy to scare, Captain Harkness, and it seems to me that your wife and Ianto could use some help in looking after you lot. Whenever NEST needs me to come here, no worries," Rhys answered, nodding firmly. Jack smiled. Good man. Rhys added, "Now come on, Ianto, your captain is right. You can barely stand up, and I'll not have you bringing up that lunch I made for you all, understand?" With help from Tosh, who took the other side, Rhys got Ianto into the infirmary where Owen could look after him.

"Wheeljack knew what he was doing when he suggested Rhys," Will observed. Jack made no arguments … in the first place, he thought Will was right. And second, his wife was hugging him so fiercely, it was a wonder that Jack could breathe. The major's eyes flickered over Jack, and said, "Oh, and Jack? You might wanna go put some clothes on. Lacey probably likes seeing you as naked as a jaybird, but the rest of us don't feel that way." Tosh giggled, Suzie shook with suppressed laughter, and Jack smirked at the younger man.

"Well, if you insist …" he replied flirtatiously, and Bobby and Will exchanged a glance, before rolling their eyes in exasperation. And in unison, no less. That took talent. Or maybe just serving together for a while. Jack laughed outright this time, and pulled back a little from Lacey, telling the two men, "All right, I'll get dressed. Do you mind dealing with that?" Judging from the rather evil smiles he received in response, they had no issue with that in the least. Good. He turned his attention next to Tosh and Suzie, adding, "I've had a cat-brain for the last few hours, so ignore me if this has already been done … put that thing away. If it's already put away, send an email to Three and tell them that if they have something similar, it's too damn dangerous for humans to be using." Suzie nodded.

"Already done, Jack," she replied, "I'll take care of the email, and Tosh can shut down the programs we don't need. We'll let you and Lacey … get you dressed again." Jack grinned at her, put his arm around his wife, and headed for his office, where he kept a spare set of clothes. They would talk … he would get dressed … and they would do other things. He was a cat for only a few hours, but right now, he needed to be with Lacey as much as he did if he'd been away from her for months. It would give Owen time to examine Ianto, Will and Bobby time to deal with Marshall's corpse, and the girls to finish up with the thing that changed him into a cat.

And once all that was done, maybe while Owen was checking over Lacey (or not), he would make a few calls, starting with John Keller. If more Sector Seven agents were gunning for his father-in-law (and, by extension, his wife), Jack needed to know that. But for now, he would hold his wife and get dressed, not necessarily in that order. There would likely be nightmares, and despite what he tried to do, Marshall would take his place among the ghosts who haunted Jack. He was strong enough to deal with that ghost, though.

To be concluded


	6. Epilogue:  At the End of the Day

Author's Notes: Okay! Here ends _Cattin' Around_. In this epilogue, we hear from John Keller (who is decidedly NOT pleased about what happened), from Jack, who learns from Tosh the purpose of the Totemizer and gets reacquainted with his wife; and from Rhys, who hears something he wasn't expecting and has a decision to make. The question is, was he meant to hear it? The prologue and first chapter of the next story will be within the next few days. The story after that marks Gwen's appearance, and involve most of season one (except _They Keep Killing Suzie_ and _Random Shoes_, which I regard as a waste of time). Onward, my dears!

Epilogue

At the End of the Day

NEST Temporary Administrative Building

Boulder City, Nevada

"HE DID WHAT? No, no, I believe you, Jack. My God. And everyone is okay? Good. Good. I'm glad to hear it. Thank God. You let me deal with Banacek and Simmons, you just take care of Lacey and your people. I will, I promise. I'll also send a message to Optimus. This is something that he needs to know. He's telling me that Lacey's Autobot guardian will be in this new set of arrivals. He mentioned a few possibilities: his former tactician Prowl, who was very good friends with the late Jazz, is one. I said something along those lines as well. About how you would imagine," Secretary of Defense John Keller answered. He listened to his son-in-law and long-time friend, still trembling with rage. That fury was temporarily abated as he laughed, "You want to tell your big metallic brother about that, you'll have to handle that alone, old friend. I know. You go do that. I have some underlings to yell at. Not to worry, Corey is with Grammy, well out of the firing range. Good. Tell Lacey that I love her. 'Bye."

John hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes and forehead with a deep sigh. God, what a mess. He should have seen this coming. He did see this coming, but he thought the rogue Sector Sevens would come after him, not Lacey. She was a civilian, for God's sake, she didn't even know about the Cybertronians aside from what Jack told her when they saw Scorponok's attack on the SOCCENT survivors! John was honest enough to admit that a great deal of rage was of the paternal variety (messing with his kid was a serious no-no), but he also knew that he would have been furious about _any_ civilian being dragged into this. So maybe, he bellowed a little louder than was really necessary, "BANACHEK! SIMMONS, MY OFFICE NOW!" Their unit secretary told him later that he literally rattled the window of his office.

On the positive side, the two men were inside his office within thirty seconds, Simmons almost literally falling in beside Banachek. John flattened his hands on his desk, telling them in a very cold, very quiet voice, "I want you both to tell me everything you know about Agent Anthony Marshall." Banachek mouthed, '_Marshall_' as if trying to remember the man in question. That answered one of John's questions, even if the other man wasn't aware of it. John went on, "Allow me to refresh your memory. He was among the more radical members of Sector Seven who were deemed unfit for NEST because of their attitudes toward the Autobots. Understandably, he didn't react particularly well; not so understandably, he made the mistake of targeting my eldest daughter."

Simmons blurted out, "You mean the daughter who married a cat?" John turned the full wattage of his most potent Glare on the least senior agent. Simmons gulped audibly, and not for the first time, the Secretary of Defense mentally composed an apology to Maggie Madsen for telling her to engage her brain to mouth filter. Oh, he meant it at the time and he still meant it, but Simmons left her in the dust when it came to disengaging said filter. Simmons added softly, "Sorry, sir. Is Lacey okay?"

"She is, thank God. Marshall isn't. I would have liked to find out how many other agents were involved in this, but my daughter's safety is a helluva lot more important. So. This is your assignment, Simmons. You find out where those disgraced agents are. You find out what they're doing, and you find out if they knew anything about Marshall and what he was doing. It'll keep Jack from strangling you a little longer. It was bad enough that he found out that you made ill-advised remarks to his niece, but finding out that you made similar remarks to Toshiko Sato?" John retorted. He had remarkably little guilt about keeping the truth of Jack and Mikaela's relationship from the agent.

"What about me, sir?" Banachek asked quietly, ignoring the seething coming from the agent. Keller sighed and sat down, motioning the two men to do the same. The rage was slowly dissipating, leaving an ice-cold terror. He could have lost his daughter today. It wasn't the first time he came close to losing any of his girls, but there were times when Lacey seemed more jeopardy-friendly than her two younger sisters. There was the attack against Jack and Corinna while Corinna was pregnant, of course; there was the kidnapping when Lacey was eight; the botched Homecoming which left Jack dead for about thirty minutes; the explosion shortly after she graduated from college. And now this.

"Talk to your men, Tom. See if they remember Marshall, or anyone else who might cause trouble," John replied. Tom nodded, his eyes shadowed, and the Secretary added, "You can do that at home. I'm sure that Caitlin needs her daddy right now." Tom's wife Vanessa died shortly after the battle for Mission City, following a long battle with cancer. She left behind a daughter only a little older than John's granddaughter Corey, and not surprisingly, the child tended to cling to her father. Tom nodded, looking more than a little grateful. He was still mourning the deaths of his men when Megatron escaped when his wife lost her own battle.

"Thank you, sir. Uhm … what about Jack? Is he all right? The last I heard, he was a cat," Tom inquired. The start of Tom's association with John's son-in-law was nearly as rocky as it was with Simmons. Jack was torn between his understanding that the people ultimately responsible for Sector Seven were long dead and his protective nature. There was also the matter of what Sector Seven could have done to Jack if he ever fell into their hands.

"Jack is human again. He wasn't very clear about what happened, why he became human, which tells me that he wasn't comfortable with talking about it on the phone. And you gentlemen know how Jack is. 'Uncomfortable' isn't a word I generally use with him. No, he's concerned that there are more individuals like Marshall," John answered. Tom nodded, looking troubled, and John continued, "I'll not keep you any longer. I don't need to tell you, this is an urgent matter. Next time, it might be my granddaughter ... or someone else's daughter. And that, I won't tolerate. Dismissed."

TWTWTWTWTW

After his phone call to his father-in-law, Jack looked up at his wife, who sat on his desk, arms folded over her chest. He said quietly, "Your dad is talking to Simmons and Banachek, see if there were others involved with Marshall. Are you okay?" He'd gotten dressed while Lacey made calls of her own … namely to her mother, to check on Corey. They didn't know if anyone else was involved, and they didn't know if they were the only ones targeted. His wife ruefully admitted to him that her mother was suspicious of Lacey calling in the middle of the day, but she didn't ask questions, just assured her that everything was fine.

"I'm fine. Just … reacting, I guess. I … when Marshall shot you, I wasn't sure if you'd come back. I'm sorry I frightened you. I think the gears of my brain got knocked loose when you were changed. And you were in such pain," Lacey choked out. Jack rose to his feet and pulled her back into his arms. He needed to hold her, just as badly as she needed to be held. He kissed the top of her head, rocking her slightly. It had been a rough few hours for everyone, and while he longed to take Lacey home, he knew the rest of his team needed him here.

"I know. I know, sweetheart, and I'm not angry. I was never angry, just worried about you. Besides, even if I was angry with you, you took such good care of me while I was a cat. It was a little surreal, even for me … a new way of looking down your blouse was nice, though," Jack replied. That provoked a giggle and a half-hearted slap against his hip, followed one of her fiercest hugs. He tugged his wife back until he could sit down and pull her into his lap. She curled up against his chest immediately, just as she did when she was a little girl, and buried her face against his neck. Jack just held her, blinking back tears of his own.

Owen appeared at the door, looking troubled. Lacey asked against Jack's skin, making him shiver, "What is it, Owen? Is Ianto hurt worse than we thought?" She looked around, but didn't move aside from that. Owen shook his head, his eyes shifting from Jack to Lacey and back again. The minute tensing of his wife's body told Jack that she was as discomfited by Owen's uncharacteristic behavior as Jack was. However, with varying degrees of patience (more from Lacey and less from Jack), the husband and wife waited.

"No. No, Tea-boy is fine. It's just … Tosh finally got a hit on the writing on that thing. Uhm, you tell him, Tosh," Owen said, pushing Tosh in front of the door, before returning to his infirmary. At least, Jack hoped that was where he was heading. It wouldn't surprise him if Owen hit the bottle. He'd worry about that later. Owen was a grown man.

Instead, he transferred his attention to Tosh, who said a bit nervously, "I still don't have a name for it, but I got a hit on the language, and ran it through the translator. The … uhm … item was thrown away, because it no longer worked properly. It was intended to be placed in an innocuous area and triggered remotely. It was a weapon, Jack. The people or beings would be turned into something else, the users would loot the town or city of its wealth, and when the effects wore off, the people would return to their proper forms. But the change back would kill them. Jack … you should have died."

He should have died. He _did _die, but he wasn't about to tell Tosh that. While he trusted his 'kids,' there were too many times when people turned against him because of his inability to stay dead. Truthfully, Jack was more than a little shocked that NEST accepted him; but then again, once you accepted giant robots that hid in plain sight by assuming the forms of vehicles … well. Lacey reluctantly slid from his lap, allowing him to rise to his feet and draw Tosh into a comforting embrace, and then Lacey wrapped her arms around them both. He kissed the top of Tosh's head, murmuring, "I don't know why I'm alive, sweetheart, I'm just grateful that I am."

They stood like that for several moments as Tosh shook in his arms, but at last, she pulled back and wiped at her eyes impatiently, saying, "If it's okay with you, Jack, I'll take Ianto home. He's doing some work in the archives … you know how he is … and he didn't want to go home, but he almost fainted when he got down from the table. Owen told him that either he went home, or Owen would sedate him and do Ianto's work himself." Jack tried not to smile as he nodded. He suspected that it was a coping mechanism for the young man. And between those two choices, he would have chosen the same one.

"Take him home and take the rest of the afternoon off. Better yet, ask Will if you can hitch a ride with them," Jack suggested. Tosh looked ready to object, but her shoulders sagged and she nodded. He kissed her forehead, murmuring, "Go home, Tosh. It's been a rough day for all of us. At the very least, get a few hours of sleep. We should be okay for the rest of the day, especially with Rhys here." Tosh nodded once, hugged Jack one last time, repeated the embrace with Lacey, before returning to her station to shut down unnecessary programs.

The husband and wife stared at each other for several moments, before Jack closed the door, breathing, "Thank God for Rhys. If he hadn't been here, it could have been you or Tosh or Owen or Suzie or Ianto, someone who can't come back. I suppose that's why I was turned into a cat; the gods know I have more lives than one." Lacey simply hugged him even tighter, and they just held onto each other. Jack could have lost any member of his team, or his entire team, or his wife. Corey could have lost her mother … because of that damn Totemizer (Ianto's nickname seemed to stick) and because of Marshall. Not for the first time, Jack wondered how many people suffered because of his reaction to losing those two years … had he condemned someone's wife or child or mother or father to death with his cons? God, he hoped not.

"He did real good. I could tell that he felt like he felt out of his depth, but he kept it together and took care of me, helped me to take care of others. Sorry for taking you into the conference room to eat, I know you're more comfortable in your office," Lacey murmured as Jack led her back to his chair and pulled her into his lap. He didn't remember that, but it wasn't really important. His cat-brain must be been online at that point. He said as much to Lacey, who nodded and said, "There were times when you seemed more yourself and other times when it was harder to tell."

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm cat-like, Alexandra?" Jack asked dryly. Lacey smirked up at him, mouthing, 'maybe.' The captain rolled his eyes and chose his favorite way to silence his wife: thoroughly snogging her. He missed this. He missed this so much, he missed holding his Lacey like this, he missed being human. Being cat was fine for a while, but it was already starting to get old after only a few hours. Breaking the kiss, he murmured, "Remind me to do something nice for Rhys. He deserves it, after today." Oh, Jack would give him a hard time, just as he did with Owen and Will and Bobby. But Rhys earned his respect; and it was people like Rhys that made it possible for people like Jack to do their jobs.

TWTWTWTWTW

He couldn't die.

Jack couldn't die. At least, he couldn't stay dead.

Rhys Williams sank to the ground beside the door of Jack's office, trembling as he tried to process what he just heard. Jack couldn't stay dead. If the Totemizer was used on anyone else, it would have killed them. But Jack couldn't stay dead, and … Rhys shook his head. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop … his mam raised him right. But he'd been worried about Tosh, and intended to ask Jack or Lacey if he should take the shaken tech home. Instead, he heard … that. He heard what Tosh told Jack, and then he heard what Jack said to Lacey about having more lives than a cat, along with the other comment about 'people who couldn't come back.' He would worry later about how he heard that through a closed door.

What did he do about this? What _should_ he do? Did he go to the major? No. No. The major knew. The major already knew, that was why he threw the captain's coat over the dead cat. And Captain Harkness said that the major was waiting for him, which indicated Major Lennox knew. So Major Lennox and NEST knew. A tiny knot of tension eased in his chest. He didn't want to tell his commanding officer anything that might hurt his new friends. And despite how uncomfortable he sometimes felt around the tall, dark-haired captain, Rhys liked him.

He wished he could tell Gwen, but he knew better. In the first place, it would be a betrayal of the trust NEST placed in him. In the second, Gwen was an idealist and would want to tell the general population about the Autobots, as well as Jack. She truly believed in the old adage 'the truth will set you free.' But after reading the reports about what was done to Bumblebee (and to the Cube experiments) by Sector Seven, Rhys wasn't so sure. Yes, Gwen was his girlfriend, and she deserved his loyalty and his faith, as well as his love. But as a member of NEST, he was a part of something greater than himself, and his new compatriots deserved his loyalty.

And this wasn't about him. This was about a man who couldn't stay dead and … Rhys paused, thinking that through. He knew about what Sector Seven did to Bumblebee, just as he heard about what happened to Torchwood One. But what would they have done to a man who couldn't stay dead? What would happen to anyone who wasn't 'normal,' regardless of the reason? Rhys felt his blood run cold, and his decision was made for him. He wouldn't tell anyone about what he just heard.

It wasn't just about loyalty or about trust or honor, but because as aggravating as Jack Harkness most likely could be, he was still a human being. He was a human being, and he didn't deserve to be the subject of experimentation, which is where it would lead, if Rhys told anyone who shouldn't know. Rhys nodded to himself, slowly at first, and then firmly, as his resolve firmed. He would keep this secret, and feel no guilt in doing so. At the end of the day, there were worse things than keeping a secret like this one.

Far worse.

Fin


End file.
